Exploring

A Glimpse into the Story

SWORD OF JUSTICE

Miriam is a frail young outcast whose healing powers have branded her a witch in the Inquisition of 14th-century Europe. Fleeing her city in search of the Free Towns and acceptance, she is brutally violated by a man she heals from the brink of death. Saved by the intervention of elves, Miriam swears to exact revenge on her assailant. But first, she must learn the art of swordsmanship and train to be a warrior with her newfound powers of elfin sorcery. When the Free Towns come under siege by the Inquisition—led by Miriam's attacker—the safety and very existence of her people are threatened. Miriam knows her strength will be tested in a face-to-face confrontation with her enemy, but how can she battle for the freedom of others when her own revenge is a mere sword's length away...?

Strands of Starlight is the first novel in a longer series of four books. There is also a fifth book that is a collection of short stories set in the same world. It is written by Gael Baudino, who writes under a few different names, mainly from the late 1980s through the 1990s. Strands of Starlight is among her first publications, published in November 1989.

The Allure of the Cover

I have to talk about the cover. If you've been following me on social media, you'll know that I'm a big fan of the cover artist Thomas Canty. He created this cover, and I feel that the pictures really don't do it justice. The lady's face is slightly embossed, so when you hold it in your hands, there is a slight, but very real shadow on her nose and mouth. The trees framing her are delicate and beautiful. Truly, in a world before hyper-graphic covers with painted page edges, this thing is a masterpiece amongst the scores of mass-produced paperbacks of its time.

I'm so convinced of the cover's beauty that I bought the entire set at a book sale without ever looking at the back of the book and not recognizing the title or author.

Discovering the Story

That said, when I cracked the spine on this book for the first time, I really had no idea what sort of story I would encounter. I must say that had I looked into it ahead of time, I likely would have passed it over. And that would have been a tragedy.

This book is largely a revenge story. Personally, I dislike revenge stories. I'm not much for revenge in my own life (there's been little reason for it, really), and I often find following a revenge-fueled main character exhausting. This story follows Miriam, a young woman who has more to be angry and unforgiving about than most.

The Setting: A Dark Time

The story is set in a fictional country in 14th-century Europe. The Inquisition is alive and well, and anything or anyone who does not meet with the exacting Catholic views is in danger of being burned at a stake. In this world, though, magic is very real. Miriam is a healer. She speaks of the magic in her body like an unwanted parasite. When she realizes someone needs healing, she can't resist the magic that takes over her until that person has been healed completely. It is exhausting and dangerous. As a result, her own family had cast her out as a child. The story picks up with Miriam escaping a dungeon, recently having been brutally tortured, and trying to leave the town unnoticed.

A Journey Through Danger

Miriam is able to find her way to a better place, but she continues to encounter dangers. After moving on from one place to another, she encounters a large man in a forest. He's been mauled to the point of death, probably from a bear. Miriam once again is unable to pass him by and heals him completely. The man, once recovered, chooses to assault her.

Miriam vows to kill the man who assaulted her. The rest of the book is centered around her dedication to this singular goal and all of the consequences that determination brings.

A Difficult Read

It goes without saying that this book is going to be an uncomfortable read for a lot of people. While the author doesn't spend much time on the actual assault, the reader is very aware of what has happened. I did not find the detail gratuitous, but it would definitely be triggering for someone who has had experiences that are similar. Unfortunately, that's a lot of people.

I would also say that the nature of the subject matter is not appropriate for young readers. I would not even recommend it for teen readers, as it is more weighty than is appropriate. Parents, be advised!

Exploring Religion in the Narrative

There is another subject that I want to address for anyone who, at this point, might still be interested in reading this book: religion.

Miriam encounters a mix of people throughout the book. There are several Catholic characters on the side of evil, but they are balanced out by a few good Catholics. There are also a couple of pagan witches, which the author treats with a lot of respect and kindness. Thirdly, there are elves, who have another religion all their own. This is the religion most explored as Miriam, through magical means, is transformed into an elf herself. A lot of time in this book is spent with her spiritual journey, which ultimately results in forgiveness and love.

I am a Christian myself, so I always find it interesting how religions are depicted on the page. The author, Gael Baudino, at the time of writing this book, was a Dianic Wiccan (hence the treatment of the witches in the story?). I learned that she later converted to Quakerism, and I'm really curious how this might have changed her writing! That said, I found the book very interesting when viewed through the lens of a book written by a non-Christian. Someone with entirely different values and beliefs than myself wrote this book. I must say that I did not find it offensive to read. It was interesting, in fact, how often I would say that my own Christian values could be found in the words of the wiser, older elves on the page.

The Theme of Forgiveness

This author took an extreme stance on forgiveness in the face of evil. The elves try to convince Miriam to let go of her anger in almost every single encounter, even as they train her to fight. Her good priest friend does the same, begging her to let it go in the name of peace and moving on with her life. I think that most people would find a sexual assault of a young woman a difficult sin to forgive. Miriam has also suffered numerous other injustices, from abandonment by her parents to physical torture by Inquisitors, and the idea of forgiving all of that without revenge is, maybe, even more difficult to accept. Yet, as the reader, you go on this journey with Miriam to find revenge, understand its consequences, and eventually, realize that forgiveness for even the most heinous of sins is possible.

A Recommendation for Adults

For adults who are able to accommodate such a heavy topic, I recommend this book. It was well-written, and the pacing was excellent. There is a bit of a romance, but not much. This is not a book to read for a great romantic payoff. Really, this book is for those of you who enjoy a difficult story arc, with a found family at the end. This is a story of revenge, but more than that, it is a story of forgiveness. The transformation that takes place in Miriam is extremely satisfying because the real core of the story is about this young woman learning how to love herself. There is a lot of discussion of potential futures and how our choices all have consequences, small and large. If that is of interest to you, then this is a good book for you.

Special Offer for Readers

As usual, I will be offering this book for sale on my website. What is not as usual is that this time I'll offer up the entire four-book set, plus a fifth book, which is a collection of short stories set in the same world. If you are interested in buying it, you can find it here.

If you would like to buy Strands of Starlight elsewhere, here are some other links:

Amazon

Thriftbooks

ebay