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EDIT: After slogging through the next 3 books in this series, I'm sad to report that LARA is the highlight of the Hetar cycle. But I'm leaving my initial reaction as-is to honor the sheer WTFLOLz of this experience. My rec: read this one as a stand-alone, count your blessings, & move on. >__>


***original review***

WTF did I just read, & why did I enjoy it? :D

Ah well. Who cares?! I liked this book, goddammit! And I'm not ashamed to say I'll be continuing with the saga.

Lara is campy fantasy at its finest. The magic is hamfisted with little or no explanation; the dialogue is frequently stilted; the cliches wave red flags & don't bother trying to hide behind prettily-described rocks. Characters recount their histories over & over & over & over until you're ready to scream. That's not to say Ms Small is a hack -- the descriptions of scenery & brief action sequences are well-written -- but the prose has an odd flavor. Fortunately the choppiness & (sometimes) cheesy conversations don't hinder the story itself, which moves a good clip.

Lara is most definitely a Sue -- there's nothing she can't do & nobody she can't enchant -- but she's one of those rare Likable Sues that you can't help but respect for surviving. Her acceptance of fate & circumstance doesn't make her stupid or unobservant. As for the "sex without love" that seems to bother some readers -- get over it. Bad shit happens to good people, & a heroine isn't evil because she sleeps with multiple characters & acknowledges having a traitorous body. FFS. Lara is larger than life, yes. But it's only the 21st-c crop of ho-hum-diddly romances that villainize women who admit to enjoying sex even without the hero's magical man-bits. Larger than life is not a dirty concept, guys.

Regardless of squeamish readers, it's clear that Bertrice Small published the story she intended to write. This is a book that says the author was enjoying herself -- the ridiculous plot rollicks along, hauling characters in its wake, while the goofy sex leaps off the page in vivid shades of purple. The rougher edges of the story aren't prettied up, & I respect that.

3.5 stars, rounded down for the clunky & frequent repetitions of backstory. It also needed better explanations for things like the talking horses & spirit staffs & shapeshifting -- I'm not asking for Tolkien, but a bit more background or process would have added much-needed depth to the magic.