Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM
Niamh and the Hermit
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Emily C. A. Snyder
Class/Genre: Fantasy Romance
'Niamh and the Hermit' is a romance telling the story of two people afflicted as a result of their connection with fairies. Niamh is an innocent; she was born of a fairy mother and human father, and was of such beauty that few people could be near her for fear of death or madness. Niamh's beauty afflicts all people - especially men - who have any evil or weakness in them. Her beauty condemned her to imprisonment unless someone could be found to marry her - the implication being that her beauty would be diminished once she married, and that the danger posed by her beauty could only be controlled by a husband. Many fairy and folk tales have marriage and competition for the hand of a prince or princess as a central theme. Nevertheless, I found the first part of the novel a bit off-putting, with the passive Niamh, and the assumption that everything would be fine once she married
The would-be husband, the Hermit, was chosen because of his reputation for saintliness, which fits with the conflation of the ideas of beauty and goodness. However, the Hermit himself has displayed serious faults in the past. Before he can meet Niamh, she flees the castle, tricked into disguising herself in ashes by an enemy. The rest of the story relates the adventures Niamh and the Hermit endure during their travels.
Clearly, the novel is influences by folklore, particularly Celtic folklore. I found the 'thees and thous' very disconcerting at first, although there was an appendix explaining their use. People who are interested in stories based on Celtic folklore should enjoy the book, if they do not find the style and language a little overpowering. Those who are looking for something lighter and rather less traditional in approach would probably enjoy some other book more.
Cheryl - RAM
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM
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