Passion's Exile - Glynnis Campbell
I adore Glynnis Campbell's strong heroines and the worthy heroes who end up at their sides. I greatly enjoyed Passion's Exile.Very much a "Canterbury Tales" mode of story, you have the mixed collection of characters who are wandering along on a pilgrimage and learning more about each other as they go. You have the quiet nuns, the rowdy boys, the lecherous guys, and the flirtatious women. Into this mix arrive our hero and heroine. Rose is escaping from a fiance who is unworthy of her. Blade is seeking to track down a potential murderer. He goes in disguise as a criminal seeking penance. Of course they two are helplessly drawn towards each other.
The details in writing shine. Rose has a pet peregrine falcon and we learn many details along the way about the care for such a fine bird. We get a "panoply of scents" and an introduction to the hero worthy of Aragorn in Bree. When Blade goes to find an egg to feed the peregrine, he steals a cuckoo egg, knowing that the cuckoo has already stolen a spot in the host bird's nest. I love these small details that build into a rich world view.
The story is primarily told from either Rose or Blade's personal point of view, which I enjoy - it lets us see through their eyes and be aware of what their feelings and confusions are. There are a few times that they appear to be mind readers, but that happens in most stories :).
Usually Campbell's heroines are skilled with the sword, which I adore, but here she's simply "feisty". That is certainly OK - I just found her a little too naive to absolutely adore her. When she finds her mother in bed with a man, she acts horrified as if it's the ultimate in abominations. Surely her mom is only in her late thirties or early forties - it's not THAT scary :). And sure, the man she's with is questionable, but these things happen.
Also, I happen to have a personal resistance to the idea that "women want to be with a dangerous beast" - I think the idolization of that mindset is what has women ending up with abusive men. The women grow to think it's exciting, or that they can tame them, and of course life doesn't work like that. So the language in the book that headed in that direction made me uncomfortable. Surely we can lust after men because they are strong, or handsome, or powerful - but not because they seem dangerous.
Still, these kinds of situations are common to many romance novels. And I adore the writing style, the strength of the characters, and the richness of the environment. Highly recommended.
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