Comments on: REVIEW: Prince of Ice by Emma Holly

By: An Older Book Meme… « Shari Creates

An Older Book Meme… « Shari Creates — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:33:54 +0000

[...] cough*. Has a TSTL heroine (with optional glittery hoo-ha). Has an oversimplified climax – deux ex machina, anyone? Some books I like so much up until the sudden oversimplified ending, that I read them [...]

By: Read for Pleasure

Read for Pleasure — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 23:00:16 +0000

Prince of Ice is by far the best of Holly's erotic fantasy novels. I was so surprised by it that I reread the other Demon books. I have some thoughts on why Ice stands out... Ice is very much a fairytale, and Holly's chapter titles convey the structured storytelling style common to fairytales. (Prince Corum's awakening is titled "Sleeping beauty".)... Others hated the deus ex machina ending. I can understand that, but in Prince of Ice I think the ending fits the fairytale. You know how it goes: coach turns into pumpkin, princess is immured in castle, fairy godmother to the rescue, then a final sting in the tail: losing magical powers, banishment,...

By: Meljean

Meljean — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:33:52 +0000

One of the things I really appreciated about DD, too, was the way Holly articulated the fact that Roxie and Adrian really like each other, in addition to being so attracted.

OMG, yes. Nothing, and I really mean nothing, will make me like a hero/heroine more than seeing that they really are friends. And it makes the separation (or threat of separation) and conflict that much better. In a book where the only connection two characters seem to have is mind-blowing sex, the HEA doesn’t seem as important. But if the person is possibly going to lose their best friend as well as a lover? Heart-wrenching.

Also why I’m looking forward to this childhood friends aspect of PoI.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:24:30 +0000

She was playing in an alternate Victorian universe, with aliens running around, and took a better (and more realistic?) look into Victorian class structure than many historicals even attempt. And class had a real effect on the characters (not just in the -I'm not good enough for her- ? sense) but influenced their decisions- ¦the weight of society was very heavy.

Great point. And she’s not heavy handed with it, either. Adrian has realistic concerns about his middle class status and trying to gain some mobility for himself, and Roxie is most definitely constrained by her own inability and refusal to fit into ‘polite’ society. One of the things I really appreciated about DD, too, was the way Holly articulated the fact that Roxie and Adrian really like each other, in addition to being so attracted. Also, the way Adrian struggles with his desire to fulfill the traditional role of caretaker (to show her his worth — how cute!) to the very capable Roxie was done really nicely, IMO, because I really could sympathize with him and not just find him boorish. Holly is very good at making appealing what I otherwise might find objectionable.

By: Meljean

Meljean — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:08:30 +0000

I can’t wait for this one, either. The Demon’s Daughter was at the top of my 2004 list — is my favorite of hers, easily. The characters, the sex, all fantastic…but it was really the portrayal of class that sealed it for me. She was playing in an alternate Victorian universe, with aliens running around, and took a better (and more realistic?) look into Victorian class structure than many historicals even attempt. And class had a real effect on the characters (not just in the “I’m not good enough for her” sense) but influenced their decisions…the weight of society was very heavy.

So I’m interested to see how she sets up the Yama society, without the ultra-Victorian influence. And, okay, her writing is just spectacular.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:28:57 +0000

I can’t wait for this book (thank the gods for pre-order and Amazon Prime!); The Demon’s Daughter is second only to Catching Midnight in my Emma Holly favorites list, so I am very much looking forward to this one. At her best, I think Holly blends sexuality and authentic emotion so well (and the way she used the animal familiar in Catching Midnight was absolutely beautiful, IMO). Even at her worst her writing exudes a certain cheerfulness and good-natured approach to sexuality that I find so appealing in her books. I’ve been feeling like her more recent books are being written in some kind of burn out (or write too fast disease), but I don’t know if she’s ever written anything terrible (in my opinon, of course), simply because at the very least she’s a good technician. And she always gives good sex.