Maya has made a jump around the world from India to England. Still she is pursued by an unnamed shadow that threatens everything that she has worked for. More mundane problems hunt her steps too, as a female doctor in early English society.
I love Maya. She’s a strong female protagonist who won’t say die. She always takes the hardest path (a bit like me really), but always triumphs. It’s difficult for her though, because she doesn’t have all the tools she needs. Peter can provide her with those, and more than you would expect.
As an introduction to the Elemental Masters series, I think this novel is not as good as some others. More theory could have been discussed, and less abstract things by the counsel. Additionally, it doesn’t quite fit in, because as far as I know, it doesn’t have any fairytale elements like the others.
The ending of the novel seems too abrupt for me. I would have liked a bit more detail about the cleaning up of the temple, and the weddings. The letters in the epilogue just don’t cut it for me, and they break with the continuity that held the rest of the novel together.
I don’t know enough about British history to say whether this novel is accurate in the portrayal of Britain’s influences on India, and the number of Hindu people in London, but it’s a nice introduction even if surely it’s not all correct.
I’ve been a bit negative about this novel, but really it’s enjoyable. There’s plenty of action, and Maya’s path is never straight and narrow. It might even be possible to call this novel a bit of a romance, as well as being a strict fantasy novel.
