Navigating To A Hot Romantic Fantasy
The Compass Rose by Gail Dayton
If you like your fantasies hot with eroticism and tingling with mysterious magic, then you'll want to delve into Gail Dayton's fantasy debut.
The author of two previous romance titles, Dayton has penned the start of a fantasy trilogy replete with clashing societies, powerful magic, frightful enemies, and spooky dreams. And did I mention sex? Yes, lots and lots of sex. And talking about sex. And thinking about sex. But we've already established this is a romantic fantasy, right? So none of us can be too abashed or surprised at the naked bodies or the formations they take.
The Compass Rose takes us into the heart of Captain Kallista, a military mage-known in her land as a naitan. It is a land where one in five women are born with magical powers as are one in ten men. This imbalance has made the society a matriarchal one where men have had to fight for the same recognition and respect afforded their female citizens. They are fighting against warriors from a caste-driven land where women are mere property-property owned by whatever man makes demands of them.
Amidst a battle where the medieval matriarchy is faced with the sudden onslaught of gunpowder technology, Kallista calls upon the One God and is struck with a magic that hasn't been seen for centuries. The magic obliterates the enemy and leaves her charged with forces she does not understand.
The priests send her to the capital so that the ruler can try to discover what her powers mean. She is not the only one touched by the God, though, and others are drawn to her to supply her with the magic she needs to defeat the demons that threaten the land.
Dayton draws upon many traditional elements of fantasy to create her tale. She establishes a world in which magic replaces much of technology and then threatens its citizens with those who shun magic. There are visions and prophecies, mysterious helpers, strict social codes, and strong religious themes. Relationships are polyamorous, with a wedded family containing multiple men and women all of whom are bound to each other and arrange sexual relationships in whatever way they prefer.
Like all Luna books, The Compass Rose also has a strong woman as the central character. Kallista is extremely well-drawn and grows in both wisdom and understanding throughout the book. She's all the more interesting because she has her flaws and must face those flaws before they are able to block her from her goal.
Dayton's biggest strength is her characterizations. All of the book's characters are interesting and come with their unique set of motivations and needs. Torchay the bodyguard has hid his love for years. Stone is experiencing culture shock while his humor carries him through an abruptly changing life. Others are recovering from a history of abuse and submission while another allows his religious inspiration to submit where he might have ruled. Each character has distinct personalities and speech, something many writers struggle with when their cast is so large.
Dayton's strengths in characterization is somewhat offset by her pacing. While the dialogue and internal conflicts are well-written and interesting to read, nearly all of the book is spent on preparing for an ultimately anti-climactic task that merits only a few pages. She eliminates any suspense about whether the protagonists will be able to accomplish their goal as there are too few pages left for the reader to doubt. Then again, the enemy was nothing but a force of evil-and forces don't necessarily make for scintillating dialog.
Ultimately, the clash between good and evil wasn't what this book was all about. The book was about Kallista, the family she forms, and the bonds that grow between them. It was a book that explores interdependence and our need for one another.
The book would be disappointing if it were meant to be a stand-alone book. Dayton introduces many intricate plotlines that then get left behind with barely a visit. The reader is assuaged only by the knowledge that there are two more books in which they can be revisited and further explored.
Luna calls itself "the new face of fantasy" and continues to produce highly readable and entertaining books that make fantasy novels appealing to adult women. The Compass Rose, a book which shares a title with a 1995 Ursula K LeGuin offering, can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its Luna peers. It may not be their best book, but it is a worthy one and is sure to delight the fan base it is building after only a year of existence.
