First Light
Author: Michelle Frost
About the Author: (Goodreads)
MICHELLE FROST has written everything from reviews on mustard and shampoo to horoscopes and an astrology advice column for a small South African newspaper. She won second prize in the Klein Karoo Arts festival, 2001, for a short story later published in the book e-rupsie/e-ruption.Michelle has had other short stories and poems published in various publications and countries. This is her first book.
Book Summary: (Back of Book)
On the harsh militant world of Sindorus, where even colours are considered sinful, three people living very separate lives are about to have those lives change forever. As deceptions are torn away, and ancient secrets brought to light, they each must struggle to find the missing pieces to the puzzle...answers that will unlock their true destiny.
Idrith, bitter and trapped in a life he never chose, is the first to discover his own fear-filled mystery. Obsessed with finding the truth behind the lies he turns to the one person he has always tried to avoid -- the mysterious pilgrim, Harmion.
Aztar's military promotion comes with an unexpected burden. A serious problem threatens the security of the entire Northerner regime and it seems that their only hope may lie in the hands of someone he was raised to think of as his enemy and inferior. Each day they struggle together to find a solution, but at night Aztar struggles alone as the secret he's kept hidden since childhood returns to torment him.
In a world where most women have no control over their lives Daen was allowed to grow up unrestricted and far better educated than normal. Now her father's health is failing and the running of their family estate lies in her hands...and with it the security of everyone she loves. Knowing that desperate situations call for courageous action, Daen is about to take a step that will change all their lives forever.
Review:
Four main stories. Seven different lives. While it is easy to see how they are connected, it is not clear why each story is important until the end. I thought I had it all figured out - then bam! I honestly did not see that ending coming. Therefore, although I did take several months to complete this book as it was not one that I felt the need to keep reading, I would still recommend it. It is not common these days to find a book whose ending cannot be easily guessed. That in itself is a gem, and the interesting read is simply a plus.
A monk is the cousin of a high-ranking official who is engaged to a poor girl who must sell her paintings to her slave's friend, whose brother works with the official and whose other friend frequently visits all characters in the story. That friend is "the string that links the beads" in this colorful rainbow in a place where colors have been banned. But now that everything known to the residents of Sindorus is quickly diminishing, it is up to these select few to do what they can to bring order back to their world.
Like I said, I did not feel the need to keep reading until I was finished and therefore it took several months for me to finally get around to reading this book. Now that I have finished it, I haven't really been thinking about it like some books make me do. However, the aspects of how these characters see colors does make one think about everyday colors in a whole new light and I feel like everyone should read this to gain that appreciation of color because it is something most take for granted. But imagine a world without color..this book creates an eye-opener for colors. That plus the previously mentioned unexpected ending make this a must read, just not a must-read-in-one-sitting.
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