3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Set in an alternate version of 19th century California, The Engine Woman's Light by Laurel Anne Hill is a gritty coming of age tale that teleports the reader to a completely different realm. Hill expertly weaves the elements of myriad genres like steam-punk, historical fantasy, spiritualism and romance to create a thrilling tale.
The story begins with a frail old woman named Zetta, rescuing a foundling, who also happens to be her great-granddaughter, from an asylum bound train with the guidance of the spirit of her husband, Javier. Together they escape the train at the quiet Thistlewood Station. However, on the way to the village of Promise, Zetta leaves the mortal world. Fifteen years later, the infant grows up to be Juanita Elise Jame-Navarro, Promise's very own mystic traveller. In her first important vision, Juanita is entrusted with a “dire" mission by Moses himself. She is warned that if she is unable to succeed then her “community and all its inhabitants will cease to exist”. Thus, at the tender age of fifteen, begins Juanita's “race with death.”
However, Juanita's first ambush goes horribly awry and her community really ceases to exist. An injured and betrayed Juanita is then taken under the wing of the mysterious man named Guide. After two years, Juanita is once again burdened with a mission by her ancestors from the Shadow World. To become a “true engine woman”, Juanita would have to distinguish between friends and foes and be willing to do anything in order to survive.
Hill masterfully crafts a 19th century California that never really existed but could very well exist. She focuses on the anthropology of the world she created, emphasizing on the similarities as well as the dissimilarities of it with the real world. She subtly imbibes the elements of steam-punk fiction through the presence of goggle-wearing characters, mystical airships, the mechanical clock-man and of course the steam trains. Also, I loved the way she brilliantly integrates Biblical undertones in her novel.
Hill's words bring life to the story. Her vivid writing entrances the reader and makes him or her feel like a character in the book. Just like a shaman, Hill pulls the reader into her world and makes him or her walk the “corridor between the worlds of life and death” alongside Juanita and company. She makes the reader laugh and cry with her characters. Her masterful use of myriad imageries makes the burning heat of the desert, the smell of tobacco, the taste of bean paste etc. come alive. The seamless shifting between Juanita's first person point of view and Bill’s third person point of view, gives the reader a visceral experience of spiritual possession. However, the overuse of hyphens and commas made the writing feel a little stilted at times.
The one thing that I absolutely loved about the book is the way Hill sketched her characters. None of the characters are one-dimensional. They all were round characters with shades of grey. However, Juanita is the one who touched my heart. At the tender age of fifteen, she was burdened with a duty that could be considered too much for even a man twice her age. The betrayals she faced wrenched my heart. Yet, she never gave up. She lost everybody from her community but still she plodded on. The way she had to deal with her assaulter for the sake of her mission was gut-wrenching. Her eyes were truly “hero's eyes". Antonio was a puzzling character. I was confused whether to like him or hate him. Having said that, the spirits definitely frazzled me. I still conflicting thoughts about them. On the other hand, Guide was truly an intriguing character. He was there with Juanita in every step of the way. I have to mention that their May-December romance was really out of the box.
Quite surprisingly the book addresses a number of themes like homosexuality, assault, rape, sodomy, healing through love-making etc. I sincerely believe that the book should have come with trigger warnings. The cover and the YA description could have fooled anybody. I found the themes to be a tad too dark for a YA book.
Keeping in mind the pros and cons, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I spotted a few errors in the book and believe that it needs another round of editing and proofreading. Despite belonging to the YA genre, this book is not for the faint-hearted. I recommend this book to mature readers who do not mind reading dark themes and explicit descriptions.
******
The Engine Woman's Light
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Kajori50's review? Post a comment saying so!
