Exalted in Northern Twilight 3

In Northern Twilight is an epic romance, an epic battle between good and evil, an epic struggle between the spiritual world and the world of men and a grand epic it is, made so by the wonderful characters and descriptive narrative of Jess Hartley! Swan and Arianna are both wonderfully realized characters, both Children of the Unconquered Sun, as are two supporting characters, Samea (a sorceress) and Yurgen, aka The Bull of the North, a warlord bent on taking the fight and destruction of the Solar Exalts to the Dragon Blooded themselves. All of the periferal characters are interesting and add to the plot without making it appear as if they are there just to fill space. The description of the final battle is simply horrific (and if you've ever been in or near a major fire, you'll understand) as the armies of the North wage war against the Scarlet Empress and her warriors. Let's be clear now. This novel is a rich character study, but never once was I taken out of the story. It was unpredictable and easy to follow. The plot moved forward to its inexorable end and the characters stay with you long after the last page is turned. Congratulations to Ms. Hartley for a wonderful first novel. I'm eagerly looking forward to many more!

When I first picked up In Northern Twilight admittedly I didn't expect it to be great. I expected it to be a decent "My first novel" book, and that's all. I was gladly proven wrong. Not only did the In Northern Twilight surprise me, with it's depth of feeling, amazing characterization, but it also kept me intrigued with it from beginning to end. I wanted to read more, and learn exactly where everything was going to end. The plotlines, involving The Bull of the North, Samea, Swan, and Arianna were expertly woven together into a glossamer strand of literary kick-assness, that make me take notice of the fact that not only did Ms. Hartley understand the material she was writing about, she loved it(or she makes it feel like she loves it, which is also good.) She grasped the underlying personality quirks of the individual characters and used them like a surgeons knife to implant them into your brain. I was awed by the fact that I really cared about these Demi-gods. I wanted them to win. I had an emotional investment in the life of Swan (personally) and Arianna, while not one of my favorite characters, was depicted as true to the original character profile as possible. It made me really start to enjoy the dicodomy of the characters. The Good: I loved the love story that evolved between Swan and Arianna, it was very real and organic, and didn't move like a sledgehammer, but grew over the course of the book despite all attempts on Arianna's part to be Ice queen of doom. I really liked Swan's developement as a character, he really became something special when he exalted, not just a diplomat with super powers. (it doesn't hurt that Eclipse is my favorite caste) I loved the action sequences, they were just chaotic enough to say "Hey yeah, there's alot going on right now, keep up" without falling too much into the realm of confusing. The bad: I was becoming irked at the repeated use of the Ice/Snow cat references to Arianna (the one above is kinda poking fun at that). It describes her, but I feel that their could have been more care in finding different ways to reference the fact that she was unemotional. Yurgen came off slightly differently than I think I would have written him, and it was unsettling at points. Samea was under-used she could have easily become a rival/mentor/teacher/anything else to Arianna, and they didn't really begin to have a relationship. Some of the powers/concepts weren't as universal as I'd have liked, If I was someone who knew nothing of Exalted, Some of the descriptions would have confused me. um..that's it... The Ugly: The part that upset me the most...The book ended. I wanna see where they go next, who they meet, and I personally would want Ms. Hartley to pen a few more of Swan and Arianna's adventures. Ratings: Characters: 9/10 (I loved the way the characters came out) Events:8/10 (I cared about most of the events, but not everything) Setting: 10/10 (best use of the settings so far in the Exalted Novel Series) Overall

This is an excellent novel, and you should read it. Jess Hartley writees vivid, evocative prose without an overabundance of unneccessary words. I just attended a convention where she gave a reading from the book, and bought a copy afterward. Before picking up this book, I knew nothing about the Exalted world, but I didn't find that to be an obstacle to enjoying the story. The author used very little game-specific jargon, and the context provided enough explanation that it wasn't neccessary. The characters are interesting, their interactions feel true, and the storyline is a classic introduction to an epic struggle. I really enjoyed the idea that, even after his miraculous transformation ('Exaltation'), one of the main characters felt a strong duty to the obligations of his former life and didn't just say 'Well hey I'm a superhero now, so you can blow.' His divided loyalties remain a sticking point through the book, and give him a pleasant depth. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author.