From /tmp/sf.4191 Tue Aug  9 02:47:40 1994
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From: dani@telerama.lm.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Baudino: Strands of Sunlight
Date: 20 Jul 1994 00:51:15 -0400
Organization: Telerama Public Access Internet, Pittsburgh, PA USA
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Message-ID: <30iag3$74i@epicycle.lm.com>
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I don't know why I do this to myself.  Gael Baudino wrote one excellent
novel, "Gossamer Axe", but everything she's written since seems to be
dedicated to convincing readers that the world is an ugly ugly place.  The
victims in her "Dragon" trilogy tended to be women, but the series begun
with "Strands of Starlight" has concentrated on depicting evil Christians
wading through the blood of good Pagans (and of any innocent bystanders
within reach).  So despite the plot-twist premise (the last Elf to survive
the nastiness is transported from the hands of the Inquisition to modern
Denver), I should have realized what "Strands of Sunlight" was going to be.

To be fair, "Strands of Sunlight" is relatively upbeat:  Although we spend
most of the book wallowing in the injustices of white, straight, Christian,
male society towards blacks, gays, pagans, women -- and, of course, children
-- there's a sense that there is a tide in human affairs that may be
turning...perhaps even in time.  Specifically, some people with a bit of
Elven blood have begun to grow pointy ears and hypertrophied social
consciences.

If you haven't read any of Baudino's books, try "Gossamer Axe", and take
my word for it that -- hard as it is to believe -- it is by far the least
preachy of her novels.  Then -- unless you're a confirmed optimist -- stop.
If you've been reading her other books, "Strands of Sunlight" is somewhat
less depressing than the earlier books in this series.

-----
Dani Zweig
dani@netcom.com  dani@telerama.lm.com

   'T is with our judgements as our watches, none
   Go alike, yet each believes his own
		--Alexander Pope