Melusine By Sarah Monette Discussed January 2008 Buy Melusine from Amazon.com Buy Melusine from Lambda Rising

Questions

1. Did you like the book? Why or why not?
    
2. The style of writing in Melusine is very...lush...for lack of a better word. How did you react to this style of writing? Did it remind you of any other works?
    
3. Melusine focuses on two primary characters, with a number of significant additional characters. What did you think of Felix? Of Mildmay? Were there other characters who stood out for you strongly? Was it challenging to read a story with no easily sympathetic characters?
    
4. The city of Melusine is in many ways a character in the book. Did you get a good sense of the city? It's history, it's atmosphere, it's sense of place?
    
5. There are clear class and social divisions within Melusine society. Did the author do a good job of developing this multi-leveled society?
    
6. Politics and political intrigue play a significant role in Melusine. Did the deliberate - some would say slow - pace of revelation help or hinder your enjoyment of the book?
    
7. We've read a number of books with main characters suffering from mental disorders (Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light and Set This House In Order come primarily to mind). How well did the author do portraying and giving you - the reader - a sense of Felix's madness?
    
8. Magic is heavily woven into the story, yet there is no single overriding explanation for or understanding of magic in the world. How well did the author portray the sense of power and knowledge of known magics, and the mystery of unknown magics? Were there any particular magical theories/systems/structures that you found more interesting?
    
9. The book received serious consideration for the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards. What did you think of the GLBT content in the book? Did you expect Felix and Mildmay to end up as lovers (before you learned their true relationship)?
    
10. The ending of the book gives many readers trouble. What did you think of the ending (or lack thereof)? Did it diminish your enjoyment of the rest of the book? Do you think the publisher made a mistake cutting the book and its sequel (The Virtu) into two pieces?