Science Fiction/Fantasy
Product Description
From Amazon.com:
“Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, SANTA OLIVIA
is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf
myth.
Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an
isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer
zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love
affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men
genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The
"Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed,
sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and
sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider.
After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit
orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited
upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for
their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who,
costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to
avenge the town.
Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her
life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has
suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope
to all of Santa Olivia.”
Review:
4 out of 5 stars
Let me quickly state that this is not a typical “werewolf”
story. I certainly can’t claim to know
the author’s intent for latching onto that claim other than to provide some
context for Loup’s extraordinary abilities.
Having said that; the story is very well written and was a pleasure to
read. It starts a little slow
introducing the reader to “Outpost 12”, which is a military zone that acts as a
buffer between the United States and Mexico following the outbreak of an epidemic
in Mexico. The people of Outpost 12 are
no longer considered US citizens and are completely isolated.
As the reader I found myself cheering for Loup and the other
orphans as they take what little action they can to provide justice for one of
their own and unwittingly provide hope for the town in the vestige of ghostly
miracles. The Santitos (the orphans) are
a wonderful cast of characters who all add value and insight into the main
character and again I couldn’t help but like them all.
Prior to this story I had not read anything by Jacqueline
Carey, but I was thrilled to find out that there is another book that continues
Loup’s story. I will definately be picking that one up
Copyright © C.A. Bailey 2010 - 2012, All Rights Reserved.
Blinks, you have not read anything by her before?
ReplyDeleteGo check out my Goodreads reviews for her 6 book Kushiel set. You will find them interesting.
Here is her fan page there.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9237.Jacqueline_Carey
Kushiel is a great series, but book three is dark, very dark. She does a good job with it but man you feel it.