Ancient Canada in Into the Forest

Dec 12, 2011 Christine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-and-arcs, fantasy-myth-and-fairy

Disclaimer: Mr. Festa sent me an e-copy in exchange for a review.

Ancient Canada presents an alternate history and two girls - Marigold and her somewhat strange sister Lavender. It is a story of journey, and reminds me, I hope intentionally, of those quest myths that one connects with the far north. The story is told by different people as they encounter the sisters.

I also think, if I am being honest, this isn't quite my cup of tea, which is why I gave it three stars. So Mr. Festa, it's me, not Disclaimer: Mr. Festa sent me an e-copy in exchange for a review.

Ancient Canada presents an alternate history and two girls - Marigold and her somewhat strange sister Lavender. It is a story of journey, and reminds me, I hope intentionally, of those quest myths that one connects with the far north. The story is told by different people as they encounter the sisters.

I also think, if I am being honest, this isn't quite my cup of tea, which is why I gave it three stars. So Mr. Festa, it's me, not you.

Mr. Festa can write. His language is rich and when he uses big words, he uses them with purpose and correctly. He does repeat information a tend bit too much, and some of the digressions seem out of place; HOWEVER, the language is so good and the ideas behind it interesting enough, that though you notice, most people will not care.

The point of all myth and even of fairy tales or folktales is to help explain things - things being both big and little questions. Festa keeps to this tradition, not only in the style, but in the thinking that his characters. The book is quest, but also a quest for ideas and meaning, like any mythology. There is much philosophy here (and I had a horrible philosophy professor in college, so philosophy is not my cup of tea). Much debate about ideas. I liked that. (I think Mr. Festa would have made a good philosophy teacher. Maybe if he had taught philosophy in my college, I wouldn't hate it so much).

Festa captures the feel of the sagas and the old myths here. I can see the Inuit in the story, if that makes sense. I will admit, however, I felt that the story would have been more as more formal short stories than a novel strung together from different perspectives. It is this shifting that creates problems. Too many of the voices sound alike. For instance, the six year old who takes over the story at one point does not sound like a six year old. In fairness, Festa counters this by indicating someone else is transcribing, but I would have preferred more variety in the narrative voice. Additionally, because this is a story about a quest told largely from outsider’s point of view, the feeling of the novel isn’t quite present. Think of Malory’s Arthur. That’s what Lavender is like. And while this might be intentional, the Morte d’Arthur was a work of smaller works. I think this would have work better if the stories had more self contained.

Mr. Festa’s world building, however, (yes, I’m using the word too much) is great. I will be reading his short fiction as it appears on his website and hope to see more books by him in the future.
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