Daughter of Hounds

The Queen of Darkness is back triumphantly. Caitlin R. Kiernan's dream of a novel, the sequel to her "Low Red Moon," picks up the story of Emmie Silvey, daughter of Deacon and the late Chance, born as the sun set and the full moon rose on Halloween, 2001. Now, it's eight years on, and the precocious yellow-eyed Emmie is pursued, among others, by a huntress named Soldier (their tales are told in alternating segments) and haunted by dreams. After a scene-setting prologue, the action picks up in Providence, where Emmie is about to take a train trip to New York (on the way she's warned to stay away from horses) to stay with her stepmother, Sadie, who's married to but separated from Deacon. That's where the story gets kick started, as Emmie indeed does her best to avoid horses. As always, Ms. Kiernan's beautiful prose style never gets in the way of the action. Her writing is clear, poetic, and often witty; but it's never showoff. Even the occasional typographical tricks--usually the sign of a bad author not know quite what to do--work well here. You'll admire the author's cascading sentences (a woman's tattoo is described as "very bright beneath the afternoon sun, all those shades of ink shining from her skin like a beacon, like a warning"), but you'll probably never think "get on with it!" The author freely acknowledges her debts to H. P. Lovecraft's work, and, in a New England state of mind (she's from Atlanta by way of Birmingham), she sprinkles in Emily Dickinson's poetry as epigraphs here and there. But this gaspingly terrifying but gaspingly beautiful book is all her own. Make it yours. Notes and asides: you need not have read "Low Read Moon" to enjoy this book, but of course it's better if you have. As always there's a reference to Lewis Carroll's poem "The Lobster Quadrille," but only one, I think. Violence and strong language make this book unsuitable for preteens.

Daughter of Hounds is a finely crafted novel that contains stories within stories, and it's beautifully and skillfully written. Objects and places that would normally be considered mundane become the pillars of an intricate mythology that can instill feelings of both wonder and revulsion. It's the kind of writing that works all of the emotions at once and plants itself deep within the reader so that Kiernan's mythology quickly becomes your own. I'm reluctant to categorize the novel, because Caitlin R. Kiernan is an author that defies the constraints of genre. The best that I can do is to call this a mesmerizing fairytale that is both dark and light, ugly and beautiful, classical and modern, and all the things in between and beyond. If you're looking for intelligent fantasy, please do yourself a favor and purchase this book.

I first fell in love with Caitlin, her words and her worlds, with Silk (my paperback copy of which is now sadly tattered and much-loved; I first heard of it via Poppy Z. Brite's The Crow: Lazarus Heart). Daughter of Hounds continues her legacy, and hasn't disappointed me yet--nor do I expect it to. Daughter of Hounds has changelings, hounds, demons, beings that may or may not be ghosts, and magick. Time goes in its circular motion--not backwards and forwards as most believe; different options--different realities--occur at the same instant. As with Threshold, Daughter of Hounds doesn't stay in one time or in one reality. It endeavors, at the least, to expand your understanding of time and reality, and the wormholes therein. CRK's worlds, as in reality, don't always make sense or have answers. If, at the last page, you're expecting everything to be resolved, neatly labeled and boxed, then you're mistaken and obviously haven't read CRK's works. One thing I love about her is that her stories don't necessarily have endings--or if they do, they're very open-ended and not necessarily good ones. She makes you think, instead of solving the puzzle for you all at once. And she does it so beautifully. Every book of hers that I read changes me indefinitely, opening my mind up to other worlds. "Words are magick", indeed, Caitlin. You, above all others, have taught me that. I am forever in your debt.

All of the praise for Kiernan is well-deserved and true. She finds the beauty in terror and vice versa and is kind enough to take us all along for the ride. Most, if not all, of her novels follow an interconnected web (pun intended) of lives and realities. Daughter of Hounds has the legs to strongly stand alone but does follow Threshold and Low Red Moon. My suggestion, get them all and read them in any order you're inclined to. You will be captivated, stunned and enchanted. I followed the writing of Daughter of Hounds, like several of her other works, on Kiernan's LiveJournal (listed on her profile) and saw for myself the care that she puts into every detail of her work. Kiernan is a dedicated and excellent writer and here it shows in every syllable.

Caitlin R. Kiernan has done it again, writing an original, thoughtful fantasy that grabs hold and doesn't let go. By turns violent, funny, and heartbreaking, the characters and the events they are wrapped up in will keep you turning pages long past midnight. The best thing about Daughter of Hounds is that, as with the best of all her tales, the characters act believably, from what they say to what they do. There's not a single faceless Dark Lord or shining White Knight here -- just the shades of gray you'd expect if you stumbled across fantastic things in our world. If you've read Kiernan's other books or stories, you'll enjoy this one, as it easily compares with the intensity of Low Red Moon or the plotting of Murder of Angels. It's also a good place to start if you're new to her work. The story is full of the mythology she's been developing for years, but you shouldn't have to read anything else for this book to make sense. Emmie and Soldier are new, fascinating characters living through two very different childhoods. And don't be put off by the fact that the protagonists are children -- this isn't fantasy-lite. Why should you buy Daughter of Hounds? If you haven't read anything else by Kiernan, it's not like any other fantasy you've read. It's approachable, with a wide variety of characters -- some funny, some scary, none stereotypes. If you've read any of the author's other works, you're going to get ghul, treacherous changelings, and monsters a-plenty -- some human and some otherwise. Give it a try!