Michele Lee

I was given this book to review by the author.

I’m a big fan of Snyder’s Jessie Shimmer series, which is often considered by readers more horror than urban fantasy. I expected much the same going into Sparks and Shadows. But instead of a rich, dark collection of horror I found Sparks and Shadows to contain Snyder’s other trademark, sexy, playful stories, that just happen to be science fiction, fantasy or horror. There are poems, fantasy, horror and science fiction stories bound together on these pages, most of which, despite the terror or pain the characters go through, left me smiling.

Sparks and Shadows is a great read, particularly for those who love dark humor, or readers who love seeing writers play with all manner of storytelling tools, from regional mythos to genre. And of course, it’s a must have for Snyder completeists, or even Jessie shimmer fans as it contains side stories from Snyder’s dark, demon-ridden world. Sparks and Shadows is definitely an excellent read for fans of the fantastic dark.

I bought this book.

Welcome to what will be a rather bi-polar review. Let’s start with a total fan-girl squee because years and years ago (and I do mean YEARS) I was a die-hard, balls out fan girl of this series. But wait, it only came out in August 2010? Au contrair my friends. Dianne Sylvan is the rocketh-verily author of my favorite fan fiction series of all time starting with Queen of All Shadows (I even have the books printed out and everything).

So even if you haven’t heard of this book and author before, you’re getting the point, Queen of Shadows is my favorite fan fic of all time de-fan ficced and published by Ace. When I picked it up I was biting my tongue to keep from squeeing aloud in the store.

But I’ve come a long way as a reader and writer since I read the first version. And what changes could the author have made to de-fan fic it? (Really I didn’t think it would take much because it took the original characters and spun them out into a completely new world setting.) and how has the flux of the genres changed this story. All really interesting questions, and all why I’m ranting here instead of doing a proper review.

Queen of Shadows started out as a Vampire Diaries fan fic, around the height of L.J. Smith’s first round of popularity. By this point she was a few books into the Night World series and right up there with Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine in the whole domination-of-YA-fiction game. Back then if it was vampires it was horror. Urban fantasy was what we call now magical realism and the vampire detective was just stumbling onto the scene (check out my vampire time line for an idea of where the literary world was then) So while the YA horror section was kickin’ PN Elrod and Tanya Huff and Laurell K Hamilton were bouncing around between horror (because it’s vampires) and SF/F (because it’s alternate worlds). Urban fantasy just didn’t exist the way it does now.

Any way, Sylvan’s tale was always my favorite for two reasons. 1) It was so much better than the originals, in emotional resonance, conflict, world building and character building. 2) It’s really well written, then kind of well written than keeps you reading even if you hate something that’s just happened.

But years later, I’ve changed, the genre has changed (most notably now it’s established enough that there are cliches and tropes and all that instead of stories like this being brave new tales of daring genre bending) and definitely the story has had to change to stand on its own. Three days later I’ve finished reading every word and now I’m sitting here trying to work out how I feel.

First, it is very close to the original and has all the world building, emotional resonance, characters and conflict I loved. Seriously, I loved Damon Salvatore more because of this fan fic than because of the original series. And David Solomon has every bit of the complex character and charm as Sylvan gave that other guy. Likewise the slowly going mad lead, Miranda Gray is vulnerable, but not whiny, fierce, while being completely outmatched by being of super human strength, and stronger in spirit and determination than kick-ass like a trope.

Second, over the years, yes innovation has turned to stodgy cliched writing, and since apparently the author isn’t big on reading UF some aspects of the book have become less innovative (and charming). At its core we have a damsel in distress because of a power she can’t control that makes her dangerous to other people and herself, and the charming, powerful vampire who falls for her and saves her.

Not far into the book Miranda is gang raped in an alley, a issue many readers have disliked. Today, apparently, if you want to make a strong female character vulnerable and have to depend on other people you have to rape them. (because lord knows they can’t just be like Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels and have the struggle to learn to trust people be a valuable part of the character growth.) However, when you consider the truth of the real world, and you have an alcoholic, more-than-half-mad, really attractive and budding in popularity woman walking the streets at night alone in the bad part of town rape does kind of seem like a viable threat.

It’s a tired cliché, you can argue. It wasn’t when the story was written, you can argue back. It’s not like other stories meant to be a short cut to making the reader sympathize with the lead. And, the damsel save herself, all while this serves as the straw to break the camel’s back and propel the story forward (because honestly if she wasn’t broken Miranda never would have be whisked away to be saved in the first place). Point grudgingly given to the cliché category, with a note that if it wasn’t already cliché this would be a more appropriate scene for the rape trope’s use.

After that you have a human (not quite) getting caught up in vampire politics. Next cliché: the “good” vampire under attack for not letting other vampires kill humans. There’s no debate on this one. There’s little effort to make it anything but David=good, other vampires=bad.

Third major cliché: vampire with foresight makes prediction of Miranda’s death which stops David from acting on the budding romance and extends the book when he kicks her out of the the Haven and refuses to talk to her for six months. But of course it’s a self fulfilling prophecy, yadda yadda. No avoiding the cliché point.

Now to the good. Great, I mean, phenomenal writing. The kind that makes you not care that the book starts out as a gritty UF and ends as a violent, but sappy paranormal romance. Almost every character comes alive, the twists are just enough off from the cliché to remain compelling and the world comes alive with a vividness and texture that many authors waste on soap opera character drama and wangst.

I still adored this story and will be rereading it, and grabbing up the second in the series.

But, here comes the but. I’ve already sneaked a peek at the second in the series because I know where the originals went and let’s just say there are some aspects of the story beyond this book that will really piss readers used to modern UF/PNR off. I’m a little surprised readers weren’t complaining more that David slept around after rescuing Miranda (despite them not being together). Like the list of cliches it looks like the author’s (purposeful?) ignorance of the market she’s selling to will come back and bite her on the ass.

This is in no way at all a suggestion that any writer should write to market. But we should all be aware of the market and not be surprised if the opinion of the masses comes and bites us on the ass. That Sylvan’s book is so incredibly readable and madly popular despite these strays and cliches is a testament to her writing skill. Alas it seems right now that rather than sneak in and blast the genre apart from the inside, she might just plant her feet firmly in the flow and let reader expectations wear her career away.

So, final thoughts. I loved it. I still love it. And it’s not just loving the memories, the prose still zings like it did the first time. I get a little shiver when I see it on my bookshelf because on one hand it’s an amazing reminder of the victory a writer can see in their career. It’s very well written and compelling and exciting, with characters to die for, well-timed conflict and pings of satisfaction along every reader nerve. The story beneath the writing is more ordinary than it used to be, and plays on tropes that are getting almost dangerous to toy with. And there, sadly, may be a case here for author action bittering a fan base’s taste for her tales, but I’ll have to get back to you on that after the second book, Shadowflame, gets here and I devour that one as well.