The Black Raven by Katharine KerrMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I came very close to throwing this book into the trade-in box, right about the 70% mark. I just hate it when authors write characters who do stupid hurtful things and pretend that they just can't help themselves! The whole tangle of Prince Maryn, Lilli, Princess Bellyra, bard Maddyn, and Branoic the Silver Dagger makes this much worse than a love triangle. Maryn & Bellyra have a political marriage, but she has the bad fortune to fall in love with her husband and is wounded when he pursues Lilli. Lilli is betrothed to Branoic and is completely honest with him about what's going on, but the fact remains that she could have put a stop to it had she wanted to at the very beginning and Branoic can't reasonably avoid jealousy. Maddyn has the misfortune to adore Princess Bellyra, setting him up to be Lancelot to her Guinevere. This sounds like the set-up for another reincarnation tangle like the one which started the whole series in Daggerspell.
I remind myself how young Kerr has written these characters. Lilli is maybe 15 and sleeping with two men. She adores the prince, but knows that she needs her Silver Dagger betrothed in the long run, though she doesn't truly love him. How confusing is that for so young a woman? Maryn is using Bellyra, Lilli is using Branoic, they all know each other's motivations, but it still seems sad and sordid. People had big responsibilities at early ages back in these days.
Honestly, I have a difficult time caring about the other story lines. Raena and Niffa are very secondary, Salamander/Ebany almost forgotten, and the whole Evander story line can't be done soon enough!
At least this gets another book off of my shelves, making room for my new acquisitions, books which have a permanent home with me.
Book number 371 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
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