2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Engine Woman’s Light by Laurel Anne Hill is a coming-of-age novel with fantasy elements. Juanita, the mystic traveler accompanying the people of Promise, is the medium of communication with the spirit world. Billy, the spirit captain of an airship, commands her to sabotage the train that regularly delivers all the old, invalid people and unwanted children of Mexico to an asylum. Juanita begins her journey guided by the spirits of her ancestors. Will she be able to fulfill her quest, even at the cost of great personal loss?
The unique feature of the novel is that it expresses every incident in Juanita’s life with a dreamy and magical flavor. The spirits are given their individual colors and aroma, as befits their personality. The author personifies a dark and mysterious cave, a carefree and spontaneous stream, and an all-consuming sandstorm. Also, the story features an independent young girl and shows her mature into an equally strong-willed woman. Although I must mention that I could do with fewer mentions of Juanita’s bust size.
However, there were many aspects of the book that I did not like. First of all, the pace of the book was too slow and uneven. In spite of the compact beginning and end, the storyline slacked in the middle. Considering the constant reminders of her quest and the time lapses between the subsequent parts of the book, I could not figure out why Juanita spent so much time idly instead of taking immediate actions.
Secondly, the clipped and disjointed sentences made it hard to follow Juanita’s train of thought. The over-elaborate descriptions that suited the more abstract narrations of the book did not deliver any sense of urgency to the action scenes. As a result, I often missed important incidents. For example, I failed to realize that the first train wreck had already happened until the author spelled it out.
Also, the plot seems half-cooked due to the lack of an authentic background. Is delivering the old, disabled and unwanted people of Mexico equivalent to some sort of genetic cleansing? If so, who was responsible for it and what kind of tortures or experiments were awaiting them in the asylum? I expected more details but was disappointed. I even failed to figure out who the bad guys were in Juanita’s convoluted story.
Even considering that this is in part a fantasy story, one expects certain logic linking an action to the subsequent ones. Lacking that, I had to watch the story unfold without any prior indication of what is going to happen, or why it is happening at all. Also, the characters’ reliance on the spirits was frustrating. I understand why Juanita might need assistance while commandeering a rail engine, but asking a spirit to possess her to help her scramble eggs proved too much for me.
Considering all the above-mentioned points, I rate The Engine Woman’s Light 2 out of 4 stars. I noticed no major grammatical or editing issues, so the book seems to be professionally edited. This book will appeal to those who love a leisurely read from a fantasy book with ghosts and spirits. Those who look for action-packed adventures will be disappointed. Also, in addition to one rape scene, several sex scenes are hinted at, making it unsuitable for younger readers.
******
The Engine Woman's Light
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Shrabastee's review? Post a comment saying so!
