Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
A mysterious young man washes ashore on the beaches of Sirilon and is taken by the Lady of the Waters as one of Her sacred consorts. A shy artist, Ninion soon finds himself wooed by the persistent, handsome Olenwe. Can Ninion accept the love of another male, and what is the secret he so fearfully guards?

BOOK REVIEW:
Becoming is the latest of a series of stories centering around the theme of the Lady of the Waters. The previous two were Dead to the World and Ki'iri. Like all of Bryce's works, the focus is more on the protagonist's journey than the romance, although the romance aspect still plays a pivotal role.

Ninion is found washed up on a shore and no one knows why he was in the water in the first place. He suffers from temporary amnesia, but as events in his past life come back to him, he remains silent about them. It's obvious to everyone that Ninion's past, even if he doesn't seem to remember it, played a role in making him the way he is now. He avoids company and crowds and hides himself away behind his hair. Ninion attracts Olenwe's attention, and at first Olenwe just wants to know more about him but as Olenwe spends more time Ninion, he starts falling in love. At first Ninion isn't receptive to the idea of two men being in love, so Olenwe doesn't push the matter and lets Ninion's own curiosity solve the problem.

Bryce's style takes getting used to. While I enjoyed her prose, my friend thought it was too impersonal and that he couldn't relate to the characters. I see why other people would think that way, but Bryce's style compliments her story completely. A lot of the enjoyment comes from the conclusions you draw based on what's not being said. Ninion and Olenwe take turns narrating and neither of them focus too much on their emotions. The experience is like watching a film. The narration focuses on the settings, actions and dialogue. Any references to emotions are direct and explicit. The characters seem to know what they're feeling and they can put labels on their emotions. Because of that, they don't feel the need to elaborate too much.

Ninion is a likable character. It's easy to relate to him and the mixed feelings he has about his sexual orientation is something most people probably went through. I felt like he spent most of the story being afraid or being confused. It's a good thing Olenwe's taken it upon himself to befriend and comfort Ninion, whether Ninion wants it or not. Olenwe is actually my favorite character. His past intrigues me and his overall personality is just pleasant, like someone I would want to know in real life.

There is also comedic relief in the form of Dyas, a taleve who is way too young and no one knows why he's there in the first place. He asks funny questions (and was forbidden to ask any more because he asked too many) and he's a good friend to Ninion. When he finds out that the animal he will change into is a wolf, the first thought that jumps to his mind is revenge on the people who tease him. I'm happy to learn that Bryce's next book in the series will be about Dyas.

Becoming is an enjoyable fantasy novel. If you're in the mood for a different style, this one is highly recommended. I also recommend the other two books in the series. Ninion makes a very brief appearance in Dead to the World.

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. However, some books were purchased by the reviewer and not provided for free. For information on how a particular title was obtained, please contact us at reviews@rainbow-reviews.com.