Book Review: Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

     I love any of the works of Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice, and before I turned thirty this year I spent some time rereading my favorites. Over the years I have also read and enjoyed a number of sequels and variations to her works and books written in what is described as "Jane Austen style," and so when a family member mentioned this book I decided to give it a try.
     Shades of Milk and Honey was written by Mary Robinette Kowal and is described as a "quasi-Regency Fantasy" novel. I feel a bit sheepish admitting this because when I was teaching high school, I constantly reminded my students that anytime they read something they needed to employ some pre-reading strategies (reading the book jacket, etc.) but I did not realize before I was about twenty pages into the book that the genre of the novel was fantasy. The characters kept describing something called "glamour" and using the term in such an unfamiliar way that I started to think that I was missing something in my understanding of the word. I ended up doing a little online research and realized that the book has a fantasy element and then what I was reading made a lot more sense. If I had just been a little more observant beforehand, I would have noticed that there is an appendix in the back of the book containing a Glamour Glossary. "Glamour: This basically means magic... In this alternate history of the Regency, glamour is a magic that can be worked by either men or women. It allows them to create illusions of light, scent, and sound. Glamour requires physical energy in much the same way that running up a hill does.
    The basic plot of the novel follows the story of Jane Ellsworth, a woman who is plain but very talented in the use of glamour. Her sister Melody on the other hand is beautiful but lacks talents. The story follows the two navigate their societal roles, and various opportunities for courtship. The relationship between the sisters is rocky and the sisters often find themselves in competition with one another for the attention of the male characters. In true Jane Austen style, the heroine finds love in the end but a few of the plot twists are surprising and unexpected.
     I enjoyed reading this book and found the plot amusing but it is definitely not Jane Austen. The writing is decent, especially considering it was the authors debut novel, but I found myself wishing that some of the major plot occurrences had been more developed. Many of the critical turning points in the story were shoved into the last 1/3 of the book and ended up feeling rushed and not as descriptive as they could have been.
     The author has gone on to write other books that continue the storyline, and while I am not sure I will be reading them anytime soon I won't rule it out because I found this story to be enjoyable.