To put it simply, I loved this book. Jacqueline Carey’s writing continues to amaze me in its exquisite detail, graceful prose, and fascinating characterization. Naamah’s Blessing is a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy, and I am completely satisfied with Moirin’s story.
Much like the first two books in the trilogy, it’s impossible to summarize the story without spoiling the twists and surprises, so I’ll let the publisher’s summary up there stand on its own. In Naamah’s Blessing, Jacqueline Carey continues Moirin’s epic adventure into new and far-flung locales–namely Terra Nova, just recently “discovered” by the Aragonians. Prince Thierry of Terre d’Ange disappeared into the jungles of Terra Nova with an expedition, and Moirin, acting on advice from a vision of her dead lover Jehanne, sets out with her husband Bao and a second expedition to prove that the prince is still alive and bring him home.
Interestingly enough, her adventures in this book do not start off on a particularly adventurous note. The structure of the story reminds me of Naamah’s Kiss, the first book in the trilogy, in that it begins with small steps into a larger world. Moirin and Bao return to Terre d’Ange from their adventures in Ch’in, the Tatar lands, and Bhaktipur, and the first half of the book runs at a much slower pace than that of Naamah’s Curse. Moirin is once again wrapped up in court politics and intrigues, having taken on the role of young princess Desirée’s oath-sworn protector. I have to admit, I’m just not as much of a fan of the court intrigues as I am of the far-flung adventures. Moirin, to me, is a character who is at her best navigating dangerous situations and making use of her instinct and her ability to inspire trust in others. I suppose you could think of the court intrigues as yet another dangerous situation to navigate, but it just didn’t catch my interest as much as what happens to her in the Nahuatl and Quechua kingdoms in Terra Nova. In Terra Nova, she has to find a way to atone for her earlier mistakes and set right the horrible aftermath of her infatuation with Raphael de Mereliot. To me, Moirin finding a way to both fix the problems caused by her actions in the Circle of Shalamon and also finding a way to forgive and absolve herself for those sins was much more interesting.
That quibble aside, I adored this book and devoured it in two days. Carey’s descriptions of the landscapes and cultures of Terra Nova are vivid and absolutely lovely. I was very pleased to find Moirin and Bao together more in this book. I really like their relationship, but unfortunately much of Naamah’s Curse was spent with the two of them trying to find each other. It was good to get a bit more interaction between the two as they try to find a balance between their love, intensified by their shared diadh-anam, and their duties. I also like that Carey develops characters who were rather incidental earlier in the series. Balthazar Shahrizai in particular grew into a fascinating character, and I never would have expected it of him. Each character that Carey introduces is important in his or her own way, and I really like that they are all given complex personalities and motivations. Even if they appear only for a short time, they’re not cardboard cutouts standing in for characters. You can really believe that they have a life outside of the immediate story.
So with Naamah’s Blessing, we come to the end of Moirin’s tale. I’m sad to see it end, but I’m also completely satisfied with it. This is a wonderful book (and such a beautiful cover!), and I think it’s a worthy conclusion to the trilogy.
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