Naondel

This book tells the interwoven stories of 8 women in the palace of Ohaddin, in the fantasy world of Karenokoi. They are all connected to, and abused by, Iskan, the evil and cruel Grand Vizier, who has taken control of the realm. They are wives, concubines, servants, slaves, and we have the back story of each, but as the plot moves on, they come together in a daring plot to escape. This novel is a prequel to Maresi, and gives the story of how the Red Abbey of that mythical world was founded. It is possible to read Naondel first, as I did, but I felt it would have helped to know what this was all leading to. The fantasy world is well created, and the feeling of constraint and lack of freedom of the women is powerful. The cruelty of Iskan is incessant, though, and each of the women is treated abominably by him. There is a lot of sexual (and other) violence, which I started to find excessive after a while; this is definitely one for older readers. The female characters are strong, and each is well portrayed, coming from different places and arriving at the palace for different reasons. The unlikely friendships that develop between them are well written, and the final section, when the women plan and carry out their escape, is full of tension and drama. An interesting fantasy novel, but I do think it would be more enjoyable if read as part of the series rather than as a stand-alone book. The prose reads beautifully, so credit due to the translator, Annie Prime. 480 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Carol Williams, librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+

Naondel (the prequel to Maresi, the first of the Red Abbey Chronicles) is the story of how the Red Abbey came to be founded by the First Sisters. They are briefly mentioned in Maresi but in Naondel their stories are explored. Weaving together the Sister's stories, it is the history of the Abbey's founders, through pain and hardship, from isolation to understanding, until their eventual escape to the island of Menos. What secret knowledge (alluded to in Maresi) did they carry with them, and who was the man who tried to hunt them down?Initially we are introduced to Kabira, a young and naive girl from a wealthy family who, eager to impress the charming and handsome Iskan, reveals to him the secrets of Anji, her family's sacred spring. Enslaved by her desire for him she shares everything she knows about this powerful natural force which he then perverts for his gain. Before long, the thin veneer of charm slips like a mask from Iskan as he isolates Kabira and seeks to control the only thing she truly had, Anji, shamelessly betraying her. Kabira's is the first story we hear but we soon learn of Askan's cruelty, his grotesque bullying, the constant raping, through the stories of the other women that come to share Kabira's lonely world. The rape is not graphically depicted but it does happen a great deal. This is a story of the great escape from Iskan's misogynistic patriarchy, from his abuses and influences; a story about the power of nature, both physical and spiritual; about the insights, intuition and adaptability of the First Sisters, their strength and humanity despite the despicable abuses metered out to them. It is very much fairytale in its style, by which I mean Grimm not Disney, with a richness of language that allows you to smell the spices and feel the textures of the fabrics. Harsh and brutal and at times difficult to read, the story never the less urges you on, I felt I needed to read until the end as I couldn't abandon the women before they had resolved their situation. 480 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Catherine Purcell, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+