WEEK 4 - SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY by Mary Robinette Kowal || Wikimedia Foundation

Almost anyone who went through public school has had to experience at least one of Jane Austen's famous novels. Austen's stories are characterized lever heroines, gallant heroes, and a horrible, selfish supporting cast all covered with a thick mask of decorum and proppah English mannahs. However, in debut novel Shades of Milk and Honey, author Mary Robinette Kowal adds a touch of magic to spice up the usual Austinian romantic intrigues and misinterpreted declarations of love.

Library books are best books, as we all know

Now, before you all run out to pick this book up, the magic involved (sadly) isn't "dueling pistols replaces with wands and lightning bolts,". Instead, the Regency period continues to be characterized by rigid attention to elegance and social structure. Here, the magic is referred to as "glamour," and is chiefly used (at least in high society) for enhancing home decor and light entertainment. It is considered an art form, taught by governesses and practiced just like painting or piano.

The main character Jane (hmm, possible connection here) Ellsworth is granted an ugly countenance, a sharp wit, uncommon talent for glamour, and a pretty but backstabbing younger sister. Enter Mysterious Stranger, a man of few words, who is hired as a glamourist to tutor a well-off neighbor. Again, if you've read any Austen novels, you know how this goes.

Though not as subtle or cuttingly witty as Austen's originals, this book does move the action along much quicker, and has (in my opinion) a suitably exciting climax. Glamour can do more than add light to a room or make the air smell like roses, much to the chagrin of a certain scurrilous knave.

WARNING: Shades of Milk and Honey doesn't contain any soggy declarations of love.

The author's treatment of glamour also serves to underscore emotions and personalities, depending on the person using it. For example, Jane is always controlled and calm, and her glamour is therefore extremely technical in nature but lacking passion. Her meeting the mysterious Mr. Vincent doesn't just inject passion into her art, but it also opens the door for them both to innovate in the uses of glamour, which I look forward to seeing in the sequel novels. (Books #2-#4 have already been published, and #5 is on the way.)

One picky note: This book was shelved in the science-fiction section, which seems completely wrong to me. Just because you use the word "aether" twice doesn't let you graduate from the "fantasy" section of the library, or even from the fiction section. I suppose it worked out, because the novel was nominated for a Nebula Award in 2010.

I'm still skeptical. A sticker does not make it so.

For this week's donation, I'm finally giving to a resource that I use multiple times a day. It's used for fun, for homework, for winning arguments, and it is completely FREE. Frankly, it's invaluable, and I can't imagine a world without it: Wikipedia. Seriously, though - what did people do before it? I was first exposed to it in Computer Science class in 6th grade (circa 2003), where our teacher said that it was bad and that we should use the Encyclopedia Britannica website instead. No one followed that advice, of course.

How many times do you use Wikipedia a day? You're welcome.

Wikipedia is a community edited, multi-language information repository, covers literally everything, and is growing all the time. It is a huge gift to society that it is run by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, which also runs collections of books, species, news, quotes, educational courses, travel guides, and more! It is priceless and yet free to the world, which is a really amazing thing. Let's keep it that way! Feel free to donate here. Or, alternatively, learn how to effectively add and edit Wikipedia pages to continue adding to the world's knowledge!

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