Wolf Tower by Tanith Lee

Now, I'm not much into first person, and I'll tell you why. In first person, you only have one perspective, and thus the main character must be extremely observant and intuitive or the reader will have a highly limited point of view on the story. Thus, every main character is usually wrought from the same mold. I get tired of this.

However, this is not the case in Wolf Tower (or the subsequent books in the series, Claidi's Journals). Tanith Lee has created a character who is being swept up in a cascade of events beyond her understanding and yet manages not to be lost or confused the entire time. Claidi is a wonderful character with depth, fear, failure, and vast development throughout the story. She shares all her thoughts and wonders, and yet the action flows quite well. The perspective in this story walks a thin line, and there is little stumbling.

Another joy in this book is the imagery. Tanith Lee's concise use of words builds a world around the reader without pulling them out of the story itself. One of my favorite lines has been from the beginning: "And from it's mouth there burst an impossible ear-shattering thunder that was a scream." That sentence exemplifies the way Tanith Lee has woven imagery and action together.

Tanith Lee is an expressive writer, and she knows how to tell an entertaining story. However, there are many better writers, as far as mechanics. She chose a style of writing that spouts fragmented sentences as often as not, and it only works because the character herself is so identifiable. Also, since you only see the rest of the characters through Claidi's eyes, you do not get to see the depth of their thoughts and actions nearly as well, and may only interpret what they say through the biased view of the main character. While Tanith Lee does this very well, I must point out that because of this, I would not have read the books if Claidi herself hadn't been as fantastic a character.

Overall, however, Lee's plot is creative, premise is original, and characters are engaging. I highly recommend this book.