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To Play The Lady (2011)

by Naomi Lane(Favorite Author)

3.8 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Naomi Lane

review 1: I got offered a free or 99-cent deal on this as a Kindle download, so I rolled the dice. (In retrospect, I hope it was a free download.) I thought the premise of the book had promise: a young woman is sent to be trained as a lady-in-waiting to the queen, even though she is not of noble birth. She is something of a tomboy, for example, preferring to ride astride rather than sidesaddle and more interested in learning how to use a sword than do needlework. This book is presented as a YA fantasy book.Perhaps I should have realized that in a vaguely-historical (horse and carriage, no electricity, etc.) fantasy book, the main character shouldn’t be named Jenna. I know, it sounds like a minor quibble, but for me, being able to lose myself in a book is critical to enjoying it. W... morehen something sticks out, doesn't seem to fit, feels anachronistic, it interrupts the story and makes me cranky.The odd selection of names (Jenna, Eamon, Dominic) was only one of many anachronistic details that detracted from the story. References to soccer? (okay, it's been around a while, but wouldn't it have been called something else in a fantastical kingdom full of magic?) A character saying "like" ("Since I was like three")? A building with an elevator when there's no electricity (yeah, yeah, I'm sure it was an magic elevator)?I could have forgiven some of this if there weren't several other major problems. First was the clunky writing. I really hesitate to mention that this is a self-published book, because I don't believe that self-published necessarily means "bad," but the truth is that the process of having a good outside editor is invaluable for improving one's writing. This book needed a good editor. There were plenty of grammatical errors (PUNCTUATION, PEOPLE!), repetitive phrasing (how many times will she "send an image" to her horse?), awkward dialogue (has anyone ever said “This looks like an appropriate secluded spot?”---ever?); badly-worded passages; too much passive tense; too heavy a reliance on exposition; and a general lack of finesse and flow. Reading this book reminded me how I’ve generally been reading really well-written stuff because now I have no tolerance for sub-par writing.Another recurring problem was what many other reviewers call "Mary Sue" syndrome: a character who is just too perfect and therefore not believable or likeable. Jenna can speak four languages fluently (enough to interpret at a state dinner), is an excellent rider, can manage a bow and sword, has magical abilities like the power to heal (including the ability to regenerate a tricky severed spinal cord), can mind-meld with horses, engage in witty repartee with diplomats, and oh yeah, save the whole kingdom about five or twelve times. At the age of twelve. There seems to be no end to Jenna's abilities and just mention something--acrobatics, say--and it turns out she's an expert at that, too. Other beefs:1. Weird mix of dumbed-down writing (seemed aimed at a younger, less sophisticated level than YA) but PG-rated plot twists, including birth control, homosexuality, erotic dreams, and violence. Makes it hard to know who the book is for.2. General ickiness: other reviewers have pointed out that the protagonist is supposed to be 12 when the book starts, but features in some heavy petting and a rather erotic dream. I was also troubled by the way the author handles violence against Jenna. A prince hits her across the face so hard that she has a concussion and a black eye, and her response is to cover up for him and say later "Maybe I deserved it." (That is an actual quote.) It's not just this one example, either; in a later scene, her (sort of) love interest reacts to the story of his brother hitting Jenna by laughing. (!) Her teacher very nearly smacks her across the face and yet this isn't presented as a significant problem when he promises he'll try not to do it again. Ick.3. Multiple logical inconsistencies in the book. The queen tells her 12-yr-old lady-in-waiting about her first period? A 12-yr-old character is this sophisticated and well-spoken? Jenna covers up for a guy who smacks her across the face and gives her a concussion? 4. Fantasy world was promising but needed more thinking about. The whole “Level 6” business of magic sounded like Scientology. I would have liked more interesting and relevant backstory of the history of the kingdoms. Magic involved pedestrian objects like a bowl of water and marbles (meh) and the discussions of magic weren’t very, well, magical: it sounded like a science fiction show, with shields being lowered and links being established.5. Flat characters without growth. Very few of the characters came to life for me. Jenna herself seemed to lack internal growth, dealing with external threats but pretty much triumphing over everything easily (often due to convenient magical skills).6. Feminist potential unrealized. I liked the idea of a girl bucking the system and trying to do what she's good at, rather than what notions of gender dictate, but that really wasn't what this book was about. Instead it was one girl's magical powers saving the day and thereby enabling her to do what she wanted, which isn't the same thing at all.7. Too many blackouts. How can one person who doesn't drink alcohol or have a seizure disorder pass out so many times in less than five hundred pages?So....I am a little surprised I stuck it out and read this one to the end. It was pretty easy reading, which helps, but I really felt disappointed that this wasn't better.
review 2: I enjoyed reading this book. It's very well written and is say it would be appropriate to any teen over 12-13. It reminded me very much of books I read as a child by Tamora Pierce. If you liked this book, you'll like her series also. The character was believable in her struggle to understand who she is and what magic she possesses. She struggles also with external influences; various people keep telling her what she should or shouldn't say or who she should or shouldn't trust. You wonder at the end "well, wouldn't get journey have been easier if she'd just been completely honest from the beginning?" But then you realize that it wouldn't have been because she would have been judged without reason. The storyline was interesting, and while sometimes it felt a little slow, there was just enough detail for you to understand and not get confused, while not so much that you started to yawn. I hope the author continues the series because I'd love to know what happens with Jenna new that she has more acceptance and a better understanding of her magic. less

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