Dewsign itibaren Uppupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India itibaren Uppupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India

Racial clash between fliers and ground walkers, from the POV of a flier child who is secretly raised among walkers by a sadistic sorcerer. OK, but all the suffering just grew tiresome after the first few instances. I see some influence from LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS in the general tone and also in the hermaphroditic fliers.

Just as I was beginning to find the protagonist tolerable, the story wrapped itself up in a very open ending. I think the conflict the character was illustrating was very relevant for the historical period the story is exploring, however, it was humoring a viewpoint that is extremely difficult for a modern reader to sympathize with. I felt the author could have potentially bridged the reader's sympathies with the protagonist's with a lighter, more charitable hand. But the illustration she created of a way of life and time in history was thorough, lively, and adequately researched. Had I grown to like Matilda earlier in the text, I may have even enjoyed the invitation to create my own ending that the author extended. As it was I just felt slightly put out, but my emotional attachments aside, it was an engaging read.