I love the poem "The Hound of Heaven" (one reason I so liked Doris
Bett's Souls Raised From The Dead) and so I truly enjoyed The Sands of
Ethryn. Lakin introduced us to some of the phrases of that poem on the
first page, and like a good musician established a rhythm and repetition
of those phrases throughout the book. Her use of phrases from the Bible
and poetry and the constant circling of the two plot lines, reminded me
of a concert.
One thing did bother me: since Lakin is a careful
writer, I could not understand her using phrases that make one think she
is endorsing the concept of reincarnation alongside all the Scripture
she is quoting. Or maybe she was saying reincarnation is as real as this
magician and magic. But I did not think she meant that, and indeed,
when you reach the end of the book and see what she had to say about the
inspiration for this story, she does not. In fact, I was thinking of
the same Star Trek episode she was while I read some of the scenes.
I can recommend this book to anybody who enjoys fantasy.
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