The Snow Queen
by Joan D. Vinge
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joan D. VingeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-02-01
ISBN: 0446676640
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Aspect
Book Reviews of The Snow Queen
Book Review: A favorite story revisited
Summary: 5 Stars
During the early 80s, a young man came upon me pensively fingering THE SNOW QUEEN in a local bookstore. "Go for it," the voice behind me said. "It's a good one." I had tended to avoid the science fiction genre, considering it rather cold and--well--sexist. I soon became grateful for that anonymous recommendation.
What drew me to the book was the promise of strong female characters from the imagination of a female author. To my delight it was also loaded with many other elements that warmed the heart of my twenty-something self, among them a goddess myth, ecological awareness, the struggle of indigenous cultures, and romance too! I devoured THE SNOW QUEEN and named it one of my Very Favorite Books.
After many years, I recently revisited The Snow Queen universe. My much-older self still loves it.
On the watery planet Tiamat, a variety of self-interested cultures inhabit its decadent city Carbuncle. Thoughtful characters struggle internally and with each other. There is no warfare but there is plenty of adventure. Themes of traditional stories are interwoven with sci fi and contemporary elements to create a colorful tale for grown-ups. Joan D. Vinge's creation is marvelously complex and fluidly rendered.
The book has a refreshing variety of female characters, in both lead and supporting roles. Even in today's adventure genres, women are still grossly outnumbered. Stories often have one or two token representatives, such as a manipulative harpy or a swashbuckling babe. Not so with THE SNOW QUEEN. For example, Arienrhod the Queen is indeed cruel and manipulative, but she is also fighting the imposed subordination that paralyzes her world. And although police officer Jerusha PalaThion is admirably tough, she is also overwhelmed by her circumstances. And refreshingly, NOT a babe.
Ms. Vinge excels at getting us into the minds of her characters as they attempt to sort out emotions and moral choices. Alas, she is not always a master of dialogue. Sometimes the characters utter banalities and heavy-handed pronouncements, as if they've become aware that they are partaking in an epic story. Some characters who are shown only through their words and deeds, such as thieving nomad Blodwed, are never convincing.
OK, so the book isn't perfect. But as I said, I still love it. At times Moon, the heroine, seems like a vacuous flower child, to whom captive animals are drawn as if she's a Disney princess. But she's also determined and plucky. As her awareness of the greater universe grows, she works hard to ensure her place in it. So I root for her. When she communes with the intelligent ocean mammal mers, I think: wow, being at one with Nature is such a great fantasy. When she bites a sadistic captor I think, "Hooray, I'm relieved she didn't try to win him over." When she fulfillingly makes love with two different men within twenty-four hours, I think, "You go!"
Simply put, THE SNOW QUEEN is a terrific story. Journeys are taken. Characters grow and change. Love can be consuming and life-altering--or confusing and mushy. Endings can be satisfying without promising a happily-ever-after life. "Go for it, it's a good one."
Summary of The Snow Queen
The imperious Winter colonists have ruled the planet Tiamat for 150 years, deriving wealth from the slaughter of the sea mers. But soon the galactic stargate will close, isolating Tiamat, and the 150-year reign of the Summer primitives will begin. All is not lost if Arienrhod, the ageless, corrupt Snow Queen, can destroy destiny with an act of genocide. Arienrhod is not without competition as Moon, a young Summer-tribe sibyl, and the nemesis of the Snow Queen, battles to break a conspiracy that spans space.Epic Books
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