Miranda and Caliban

I love fairytale retellings, and Shakespeare retellings are usually pretty good, and this is from Jacqueline Carey, of Kushiel's Dart, so it ought to be awesome, right? Well. It certainly wasn't bad. But it also wasn't as fantastic as I was expecting.

Miranda and Caliban is more of a prequel to Shakespeare's Tempest than it is a retelling. It begins when Miranda is 6 - when she's just aware enough to start remembering what's happening on the island she and her father live on. The book details the childhood friendship of Miranda and Caliban, who was abandoned on the island as a child and had reverted back to “uncivilized” ways. Miranda and her father teach him their language, and how to behave like they do. As Miranda matures into a young woman, Caliban does, too, turning their childhood friendship into - something more, though Miranda is too naive to understand what's going on.

Miranda's father is the villain in this book, using Miranda for his own ends and abusing Caliban. Abusing them both, really. He's a manipulative, gaslighting bastard. To be honest, none of the characters in this book are all that likable - Ariel is a backstabbing, untrustworthy jerk, Miranda is stubbornly, obnoxiously naive, and Caliban is bullish and closemouthed.

All that said, the book is well written, with a lyrical quality to it. It's a logical prequel to The Tempest. If you liked The Tempest, it might be worth a read. If you're not familiar with The Tempest at all, though, definitely give this a pass.

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Miranda and Caliban is inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest and is largely a prequel, though the ending follows events in the play. The plot from the story is embellished more than changed, and it flips perspectives so Prospero is the villain. It's beautifully written, atmospheric, and one of the better books I've read this year, although I would have liked a little more original in-depth characterization.

Full Review on My Site

Don't bother with reviews. Read this book. Whether or not you're into Shakespeare or Jacqueline Carey, this is a great book. I dare you to read the first few pages and then put it down.