Ariella

"On high stood the white marble palace..." Imani Bey writes, "immobile in elderly regality." So begins the story of Ariella, a tale of two women: one a princess denied everything, the other an orphan given it all. Setting the scene with an image of dignified limitations, this engaging story serves as a reminder to readers that while not all characters are guaranteed to live happily ever after, there is always hope for the future.

The plot of Ariella is not entirely new -- the first thing that sprang to my mind was the marriage of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII -- but it is placed in such a unique environment that readers will feel as if they are experiencing a fresh story. Mariam, a princess betrothed to a knighted ke-sweii, is forced to marry the man's brother when her intended husband dies in combat. She endures twenty-five years of barren misery before her husband dies. Wishing to avoid the quarrel over his inheritance, she withdraws her claim to her husband's wealth and lives quietly in her chambers -- until one day a woman begs Mariam to take in an orphaned child named Ariella. When Mariam dies, Ariella inherits everything the woman had...including Mariam's status as the realm's princess.

Bey writes with a fluidity and depth that easily transports readers to the Empire. I particularly enjoyed Rahil, Mariam's personal maid, who was perhaps the character with the most personality. The flow between Mariam and Rahil is lovely in its open honesty, a true friendship that readers can find parallels to in their own lives. Readers will also enjoy watching Ariella grow from an innocent young girl to a confident young woman who stands up for what she believes in. Eastern influences woven into the storyline shape the Empire into a lush paradise of fruit trees and bountiful gardens; the incredibly detailed settings will make readers feel as if they are in the palaces themselves.

This attention to detail, however, is also part of the book's shortcomings. The descriptions seem a bit too contrived at times; certain embellishments walk the fine line between well-detailed and purple prose. Bey bestows upon Mariam, for example, a "graceful head crowned with the soft ocean of dark, brown-hued tresses, arranged so that the light fell upon the regal tiara made of the silver streaks about the ring of hair." It would seem in this case that there CAN be too much of a good thing. Similarly, characters' monologues occasionally come across as dense, rather than informative, as if Bey had too much exposition to convey and not enough pages to put it in. In general, though, readers will be drawn into an environment that is mostly believable and still thoroughly enjoyable.

Bey also includes a helpful glossary at the beginning of the story for readers to reference as they go along. I was grateful for the list, which I gradually stopped using as I became more familiar with the invented words. These new words fit well within the tone of the story, subtly supporting the unfamiliarity of a distant land.

Overall, Ariella is a quick and pleasurable read, perfect for a day when you want to be taken away from the world you know and placed into one that is filled with intrigue, love, and a beautifully crafted environment. Though it can get bogged down with Bey's unflagging attention to detail, these few bits do not detract very much from what is otherwise a great book.