The Kestrel, by Lloyd Alexander

[WARNING: Here there be spoilers.]

The Kestrel
by Lloyd Alexander
244 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/YA/Fantasy

The second in Alexander's Westmark trilogy; still distinctly YA and "adventurous." I often find this type of book tiresome unless there is Martin-style realism, which would be entirely inappropriate here for both the target audience and Alexander's style. Still--teenaged monarches running off in disguise? Really?

On the other hand, I was glad for the lack of political marriage alliances, since the plot otherwise satisfies several other cliches (case in point: Cabbarus, who should have been killed in Westmark to begin with--yes, I know his forgiveness is crucial to Theo's moral development, but plot should not serve the author so blatantly). More politics in this book than the previous, which is yum. I enjoyed seeing civil war from a sociological perspective, and Theo's transformation into the Kestrel was chilling. I loved Connie and I hope he gets a starring role in The Beggar Queen.

Random questions/annoyances: When did Theo propose? I loathe off-screen turning points, which an engagement between the protagonist and his love interest definitely qualifies. What happened to Monkey--was he a traitor? Is he dead? If his ambiguous end is a next-book lead-in... Like I said, I haven't much patience for this type of book.

Westmark was nonetheless a compelling read and a slim volume. Many of my friends (*cough* mrissa, yhlee) are in love with it, so I would recommend giving Alexander a try despite my own tepid feelings. I promise you won't lose too many hours of your life. I'm still not a fan of Alexander or this series, but unlike after Westmark, I am persuaded to at least read further.

Dreamwidth Open Beta!

Dreamwidth is now officially in open beta. I have 5 4 3 2 invite codes to give out, so if anyone is still seeking one, comment here and ask nicely.

A Guide to Dreamwidth for LiveJournal Users

Ethos and Ideas

At this point, I am seriously considering a permanent move to Dreamwidth after it exits open beta (assuming that I can also import back here if disaster occurs?). Yay early adoption. I'm kind of nervous, actually, because usually I am not an early adopter--but DW is too promising to pass up. If/when I jump ship, I will cross-post to LJ with comments turned off. If you really hate logging into other sites, you can PM or email me if you're friended (and if you're not, sorry, I don't much care if you decide to withhold comments).

What makes DW different (for me)
* Separate flock and reading lists. Less fiddling with filters!
* Ad-free even when I'm not in Firefox with AdBlock Plus.
* A commitment to sustainable growth and development, as well as remaining ad-free to avoid undue financial pressure from advertisers.
* afuna ;)
* Not entirely sure about this one, but ability to read LJ-locked posts on my DW page? Yes/no? This would be really nifty; otherwise I will set up an LJ filter of friends I still want to read. I actually prefer the RSS style of blog-reading to the LJ one-page style, because of easy prioritization without forgetting about the lower-priority stuff; RSS means giving up flocked posts, though, and the personal aspect is why I'm still here.