This is another member of the set of books I would never have purchased had I not happened across it in a bookstore, and as with all books from authors of whom I have never heard (though it turns out this is a pen name for an author whose books we own but have not read), I approached the reading of it with some degree of trepidation. As it happens, I need not have feared. The book is absolutely charming. It's a fantasy of manners with a bit of a Gothic turn - and while it does borrow heavily in themes from assorted 18th century authors, I don't think that detracts from its enjoyability to any real degree. After all, while originality is a virtue, it is far from the only possible virtue in writing, and its presence or absence alone does not determine the quality of a work. Beckett takes a handful of familiar threads and weaves them into a thoroughly absorbing tale of life in a society which shares a fair number of characteristics with our own 18th century history, though the addition of magic and what must be a truly remarkably complicated solar system (the varying lengths of day and night are quite an original touch, I might add) are more than sufficient to keep the reader from losing track of the fantastic element.
Recommended for, mostly, fans of the fantasy-of-manners subgenre, though anyone who enjoys a slow unfolding of a large story told mostly through its effects on a handful of people will probably enjoy it.
