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Rangoon

Christine Monson

Start date: August 1, 2011

Finish date: August 31, 2011

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Aug 15, 2011 Sarah Mac rated it liked it

Shelves: zzz-2013, zzz-departed-vintage, cover-lust-fail, zz-publisher-avon, reviewed, read-regifted, cover-me-red, om-or-villain-superior-to-hero

3.5 stars. The writing is beautiful & deserves 4+, but I didn't care for the hero or the heroine -- so I didn't round up.

The plot is complicated & heavily involved with Victorian-era political & trade issues in Burma. I can't offer thoughts on the accuracy because I'm totally unfamiliar with Burmese history, but it rings true to what I know about British colonial relations with India during that period.

Character-wise, Lysistrata & Ram don't compare to Kit & Sean of Stormfire. I absolutely love 3.5 stars. The writing is beautiful & deserves 4+, but I didn't care for the hero or the heroine -- so I didn't round up.

The plot is complicated & heavily involved with Victorian-era political & trade issues in Burma. I can't offer thoughts on the accuracy because I'm totally unfamiliar with Burmese history, but it rings true to what I know about British colonial relations with India during that period.

Character-wise, Lysistrata & Ram don't compare to Kit & Sean of Stormfire. I absolutely loved Kit's white-knuckled, stoic pride; even when Sean drags her through the gutter & treats her like shit, she's determined not to show how much it hurts. But Lysistrata didn't have that same determination -- she was more concerned with mouthing off & flouncing around to prove she was desirable. It's true she had a traumatic personal experience to muddle her reactions to men in general, but even then she was highly inconsistent. I never got a feeling of what she wanted, or even why she was driven to get...whatever it was.

Likewise, Ram was something of a cipher. Action scenes excepted, he spent a lot of time moping over his heritage (half-caste British/Indian). True, his parents were royally fucked up; their backstory could have provided an awesome prequel novel. But compared to the engrossing, violent, & bizarre antics of that previous generation, Ram struck me as anti-climactic with a tendency toward petulant emoz. Compared with Sean's brutal-but-fascinating antics, he just wasn't that compelling. He spent a lot of time wandering around Burmese waterways, thinking how hard his life was & how much he wanted Lysistrata's magical hoo-ha to heal his wounds. Like the heroine, I had no idea of his ultimate goal; key plot points hinge on his confusing conclusion re: Lysistrata's motivation, & we didn't see him do much of anything to maintain his palace, his wealth, or his badass reputation in legal/illegal trade -- it was just there.

That said, the middle section where Lysistrata & Ram lived at the palace was very good -- it had a semi-gothic tinge that reminded me of the dynamic between Sean & Kit during the calmer periods of her captivity, & the vaguely menacing characters that surrounded them were really intriguing. (Also, there was a harem. And the moat was filled with crocodiles. Fabulous. :D) But the bits in 'metropolitan' Burma didn't have the same level of taut tension. There were too many confusing plots & counterplots re: the Chinese trade route, & the overload of witty banter felt out of place in an otherwise serious story. (Lysistrata & Ram also refused to have an honest conversation, like, ever. It annoys me when a simple 20-minute dialogue could clear the way for a HEA, yet the author prolongs stubbornness beyond legit dramatic purposes.)

So, anyway...the total product of Rangoon didn't get under my skin like Stormfire. But if you're a Monson fan & expect a certain level of technical quality, don't worry -- you'll find it in this book. The visuals were stunning & the secondary characters were painted with deft strokes of individuality. ...more

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