Point of Dreams

This second episode of the late Renaissance series centred on pointsman (a policeman of sorts) Rathe is similar at first sight to the first but subtly different nonetheless, as if the two plots belonged to one of the two authors each. The first was more focused on the mistery, on the action that brings to its solving and fleshed out with countless details about the lower class characters' way of life. In this second one, the mistery seems not to be the focus of the narrative, it rather seems an excuse to examine characters interaction and the ways of upper classes of the same society. This is true to the point that the identity of the murder is quite clear from the first pages, as are his/her (I will not give you any hint though) motives. In a way the novel suffers from this choice. It also suffers from the understated tone chosen by the author to describe people's feelings. I think it a good idea to let us face the intimate relationship between the two main characters (two men, by the way) as an already given fact, but this choice of understatement runs so far that we face a feeble characterization too: not that it is lacking, it is just superficially attended to, it lacks depth: you cannot really relate to any of them. Nonetheless this novel deserves in my opinion five stars. The quality of the writing is high, the fastidious attention to details, the original society depicted. They all make this a worthwhile read. I only feel like complaining about a minor detail: that the authors, to make their point about a society ruled by women use "her" and "she" as general pronouns when the sex of the person is not known. This feels quite unnecessary. Another problem, but I guess it comes from a deliberate choice too, is that even after two novels, the structure of the astreiant's society and even its basic geography are still unclear: the authors never taking the trouble of making clear, e.g. what the regents actually do, what the metropolitan is, etc. Outright explanations are likely to be clumsy, but the authors could have found a way to give us at least the more essential details.

I set this aside with a feeling of satisfaction, as if I'd had a good meal. The mystery was well-done, the fantastic elements of the story and the world well-conceived, the backstory well-integrated and relatively easy to pick up once I got into the rhythm of the plot. Scott and Barnett write with an attention to detail and a richness of atmosphere not often found in fantasy. The story moves along leisurely, over the course of a few days, and (forgive the clumsy metaphor) feels like dark chocolate syrup, rich, bittersweet, and luxurious. The Italian Renaissance atmosphere (to me, the city seems like Venice) and the stylized social structure is fascinating. The behind-the-scenes theatre action seems true-to-life, at least so far as my theatre experience has been. It seems to me the society is matriarchal, as all the truly powerful positions were held by women, which is a refreshing change from most fantasy. And everyone seemed to have a mother, but I can't recall a mention of anyone's father. And I rather like the idea of the "ghost-tide," in which our dead appear to us at a particular time of year. I wouldn't mind seeing my paternal grandparents again. I'll be keeping my eye out for the previous two novels set in this world.

In the city-state Astreiant, it is the time of the year when ghosts are visible so city lawyer Kurin Holles expected to see the apparition of his lover, but the specter fails to appear. Kurin knows the most likely reason is his beloved is magically unable to return, which leads to the conclusion that her death was caused by a murderer. Adjunct Point Nico Rathe asks his superiors for permission to investigate the death, especially since the victim possessed a copy of the spellbook The Alphabet of Desire. However, the assignment goes to a subordinate Voillemin, who intends to do nothing in order to further his career. Nico decides to serendipitously make inquiries. Former soldier Philip Eslingen provides weapons training to those performing in the upcoming The Alphabet of Desire midwinter festival. Soon corpses begin to appear on stage accompanied by the appearance of The Alphabet of Desire spellbook. The book provides a link back to Nico's other case, but if the cop digs too deep he will learn what death by magic means. POINT OF DREAMS cleverly places a well-crafted murder mystery inside an enchanting fantasy tale. The cast makes this Renaissance world of magic seem real as Nico and Phillip are wonderful heroes while every hard worker has had to deal with a sycophant shirker like Voillemein. The taut story line works in such a way that fans of both genres will enjoy the plot and seek out the previous novel of Melissa Scott & Lisa A Barnett set in this realm, POINT OF HOPE.Harriet Klausner

Scott's and Barnett's previous collaboration, the fantasy-mystery hybrid Point of Hopes, introduced Nicholas Rathe, Adjunct Point (a kind of senior police officer) in the city of Astreiant, part of a fantasy world where astrology and alchemy function as reliably as physics and chemistry. Point of Dreams returns to that world, and to Rathe, caught up in another dangerous mystery.Every winter in Astreiant, a masque is held. Based on ancient traditions and aligned with the stars, it's integral to the health of the queen and the realm--and more important now than ever, for the queen is soon to announce her chosen successor. This year, the play that's the source of the masque is itself sourced in an ancient text, the Alphabet of Desire, a compendium of flower- and plant-based spells, which most people believe to be a hoax but which may, just possibly, be real.When a body is found on the rehearsal stage, inexplicably drowned in the absence of any water, Rathe is called in to investigate. He has enough headaches, what with trying to control the craze for flower corms produced by the coming masque, coping with the disturbances of the ghost-tide (a time of year when astrological conjunctions cause the ghosts of the dead to return), and negotiating the complications of a relationship with a new lover; he isn't thrilled at the idea of dealing with theatrical egos and touchy nobles as well. But it soon becomes clear that this is not just a simple revenge or jealousy killing. More deaths ensue, all linked in some way to the masque and its actors. Rathe begins to suspect that someone, somewhere, has a working version of the Alphabet, and is using it to commit murder. But who? And why? It's up to Rathe, with the help of his lover Philip Eslingen, to find out.Readers of police procedurals will recognize the form of Point of Dreams, if not the details, which are necessarily changed by the fantasy setting. Rathe attends an autopsy (or the alchemical equivalent); he consults various experts, magical and non-; he copes with hostile colleagues and the over-eager press; he reports to his chief (who is sympathetic) and to a board of supervisors (who are not); and in the end, takes matters into his own hands, for a solution that's only just inside the law. Scott and Barnett blend the genres deftly, transposing their mystery plot seamlessly into their magical world, effectively building suspense and scattering both clues and red herrings with panache. The writing is skillful, as is the characterization: Rathe and Eslingen are sympathetic protagonists, and even minor players are very sharp. And theater buffs like me will love the theatrical details, which carry the authority of real experience. Best of all, though, is the world building. Scott and Barnett have created a setting so densely detailed that it's at times hard to remember you aren't reading about a real place. Astreiant is both hauntingly familiar (reminiscent, to me at least, of 17th century Holland in the gri

This book made me incredibly happy! I really enjoyed "Point of Hopes", the first book, and was delighted to get a chance to return to that world and characters. I was pleased right off that Eslingen and Rathe had got together, as I wasn't clear in the first book if that was going to happen, and the incurable romantic in me thought that they should. The mystery in the book was well done. It can be difficult to do a fantasy and a mystery in the same book and not have one come out poorly, but it works here. The world is well-crafted and the mystery fits within it neatly. There is some nice dryly humorous bits in the book as well, and of course, romance. I even like the cover! Now they just need to get the necromancer a date....I hope these authors return to this series... frequently!