While there is nothing wrong with this, the blood sucking fiend is just as boring a stereotype, I found very little in his character to hold my interest. While some of the minor characters, especially some of the more conniving Italian villains had their nastiness to make them intriguing. Neither the count nor the two lead women characters had any real depth.
The women especially were disappointing. For a musician and an author, both fields that require a measure of intellect and, considering the times, self-confidence, were far too prone to bashful glances, tears and trembling limbs. Although some of that behaviour can be put down to the uncertainty any women of the time would feel in dealing with a man of higher station, the actions of especially his mistress the musician seemed a little overblown.
What made these characterizations so jarring was Ms. Yarbro's attention to historical detail. The juxtaposition of accuracy and stereotypes seriously detracted from the feelings of authenticity that were created in other parts of the book.
What I found most disappointing about States Of Grace was that Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is a very skilled writer and obviously enthusiastic researcher. She is highly adept at the descriptive passages that create the pictures in a reader's head that set the stage for the action to be played out.
Unfortunately this could not compensate for what I felt to be the emotional hollowness at the core of the action that left me not really caring what happened to the characters one way or another. It was almost like reading descriptions of a variety of still life paintings. Charming to look at but no real depth beyond the use of colour and texture.
Finding the balance in a historical novel between accuracy and interest can be extremely difficult. While States Of Grace shows all the signs of being well researched I did not find that sufficient to compensate for its romance novel nature and the bloodlessness of the plot. It was a cup of tea that was far too sweet for my tastes.
Article comments