Saturday 23 February 2013

The Crimson Kestrel

The Crimson Kestrel by Leslianne Wilder
Reviewed by Jenny Barber
 
Found in Issue #114 of the ever-fabulous Beneath Ceaseless Skies, The Crimson Kestrel is a fun swashbuckling tale that's part Scarlet Pimpernel and part Three Musketeers with daring acrobatics and adventure, hidden identitites and just the slightest touch of romance. 
 
By day, Mademoiselle Ivette du Brielle is just one more pampered socialite fluttering around the imperial court of L’Echelle; night, however, is another thing altogether as she launches herself from the balconies and into the streets below to serve a little justice to the local thugs while taking full enjoyment in the thrill of the hunt.  And it's this joie de vivre that elevates her as a character as her own enthusiasm for her adventures is infectious and hooks the reader quite firmly. (Though one does wonder how she can fit quite so many gadgets and weapons under her fashionably generous skirts and still manage to walk without clinking... :-P )
 
There's intrigue and amusement to be had from the mysterious stranger who she rescues and combined with a wonderful depth to the world behind the story, creates an appeal that makes the reader want more adventures both in the setting and with the characters.  Great stuff!


Read The Crimson Kestrel here.  More about author Leslianne Wilder can be found on her website here.