I just finished reading Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows and I was reminded of why I keep her books
around. Her sense of humour is
incredible. I usually read her Keeper
trilogy when I’m feeling blue. The
Keepers are magicians who can end up inadvertently affecting the world around
them if they’re not careful. One of the
most entertaining examples is when the younger sibling begins to think
jealously about the older one: “Always
did think the sun shone out of her ass.”
Switch scene to older sibling and her boyfriend who is thinking about
how beautiful she is and how the light brings out the highlights in her hair
and then “Wait a minute, where is that light coming from?”
Wordplay amuses me.
And so does her portrayal of cats as completely sarcastic
and self-absorbed. I’ve lived with cats
for over a decade now and I can guarantee there are times you wonder if that is
what they’re thinking. Especially around
suppertime. The little cat-related
asides throughout the plot provide a lot of well-timed comedy.
Smoke and Shadows
is one of the Henry Fitzroy books, after he moves to Vancouver. I liked the TV adaptation of Blood Ties but I didn’t enjoy the books
as much. It wasn’t quite the same sense
of humour. This one is closer but still
more serious than the Keeper books, which I’m guessing were intended as comedy
right off the bat.
I end up watching and reading a lot of dark material because
most of the time, that’s what I enjoy.
But sometimes I need to come up for something lighter. You can’t spend all your time with brooding
Princes of Darkness. The charm wears off
after awhile. Something rom-com-ish with
Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts. Or Tanya
Huff.
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