Strikestone:Book III of the Dolvia Saga – Stella Atrium

(Reviewed by Melanie Hamilton)

“Brianna Miller in Pear-ass now resides. Who saved the gouleps out of
bondage Star traffic for Somule Gems she guides. Who jumped back while
warriors engaged. In making for Uburu a safe passage. Far distant
from our stars and dreams. Far distant form the sisters of Arim Enrich
the gouleps, but at what cost. To home and hearth and husband? She how
is promised to Dacupitte, anon.”

I don’t usually pick up a book from the middle of the series. For a good reason: I want to know what happened already. This is not mitigated by Strikestone. I trusted the blurbs that assured me that I would not have to have read the earlier books to be able to enjoy this one. Nope. Not me. They were right that I would want to, though..

“Another soft knock. Laura peered around the door while a shaft of amber light spilled into the room. I switched on a big lamp behind the sofa and crossed to receive my Dolviet cousins. I hoped my Arrivi language skills were not too rusty.”

This is the world view of the main character. But what is that world? How did she get there? Who the heck are these people?

Way too many suggestions of another culture, another way of looking at the world for me to be swayed by plot and narrative! Not to say that someone else would be satisfied by the action of the novel. Not to say that you might find the adventures of traversing the needs of a culture against the needs of the individual more exciting and compelling than the nature of a language.

You notice that I don’t tell you anything about the story itself? I got lost. I didn’t get much past the kids on the train confronting the culture they were being indoctrinated into. But I wanted to. I wanted to understand why it mattered, why it was missing when I listened to the story. And wanting to tells you as much about the author as I am able to. Stella Atrium has a facility with language and a vision of her world that is indeed compelling. I understand why someone would say just dive in. I was there. I was in the room when Brianna discovered who her guests really were and what they wanted from her. I was as confused as the children when she chose them to accompany her. I was quite confused when she agreed to leave the world she was happy with to venture into something that might confine her spirit. So, you see that I have engaged just enough of the story to know that I don’t want to continue here. I want to start at the beginning, to see Brianna birthed and her world created.

OK. I’m weird. The best of my friends say so with a smile. And I laugh. But I am serious about cultures and especially created ones. Because I want more, more, more (read as start from the beginning) I give Strikestone:Book III of the Dolvia Saga a tentative 3 bookmarks.