Review: THE MERI and TAMINY by Bohnhoff
Mary K. Kuhner
a book review by Mary K. Kuhner
For generations a select few young men have trained to become Osraed;
scholars, magicians, and holy men who wear the kiss of the Meri, the
living presence of the Divine, on their forehead. Now a young woman,
Meredydd, aspires to join the Osraed. She is opposed by her teachers,
many of whom think her desire reflects not piety but witchcraft, as well
as by the tangles of her personal life.
This is a rather standard outline for a fantasy novel, but several
aspects set _The Meri_ apart from others of its breed that I have read.
Meredydd's motivations are genuinely religious; she is not simply
looking for magical power. The tests she faces have a mythical feel to
them; though one or two are too obvious (making the reader wonder why
Meredydd doesn't realize what's going on) others are subtle and
well-woven. I read the book in one sitting, drawn in by the strong main
character and smoothly flowing storyline.
The culture is also interesting--although the names and titles are
Welsh, the religion appears to be a fantasy rendering of the Ba'hai faith
(the books are dedicated to the Ba'hai community in the author's town).
The scripture of the Osraed reminds me of what little Ba'hai scripture I
have read, and has an authenticity and passion rare in fantasy religious
works.
_The Meri_ is a flawed but engagingly fresh look at ideas I thought were
too overused to be interesting.
Spoilers ahead for _Taminy_:
It is impossible to discuss the plot of _Taminy_ without spoiling the
end of _The Meri_, so readers beware.
In _Taminy_, Bonihoff tackles a more difficult and more original story
than her first; she follows the human woman who was for a hundred years
the physical form of the Meri, the sea-bourne Messenger of the Divine,
and must now re-learn her humanity.
Taminy has returned to the mortal world to spread a message of religious
renewal, and, as always, what she has to say is bitterly opposed both
inside and outside the religious community. The king, who is faithful
only in name, wants to use her for political capital; many of the Osraed
want her denounced as witch and heretic; the townsfolk whose daughters
she teaches are afraid of the changes she will bring.
It is difficult to write a novel about a main character who is truly,
unquestionably good; which Taminy is, to the point where I found her
struggle with sexual temptation near the end of the book unconvincing.
She had already been painted as someone whose experience of the Divine
was so intimate that she almost literally could not be shaken or tempted
by anything earthly. As a result she is difficult to identify or
empathize with, especially in the later sections of the book (early on
she is made more human by the withdrawal pains of the power she held as
the Meri). Much of the story is carried by the minor characters, who
are more vividly drawn than in the first novel. Particularly powerful
is the exploration of the process by which a member of the Osraed,
recipient of direct contact with the Divine, could become corrupted by
political and temporal pressures.
_Taminy_ is a darker and more disturbing novel than _The Meri_, in its
portrayal of the chaos surrounding a divine messenger and the difficulty
of accomodating humanity to the demands of the Absolute. I found myself
wishing that there were some way Taminy could prove mistaken in her
absolute certainty. The book ends inconclusively, unlike its
predecessor, and one presumes there will be a third to show the fate of
the movement Taminy has begun.
If _The Meri_ is about the liberating and empowering aspects of Divine
love, _Taminy_ is about its sometimes fearsome human consequences. They
make a good pair, richer together than either would be alone. (_Taminy_
also resolves my one serious objection to the end of _The Meri_--that
Meredydd's apotheosis did nothing to ease the restrictions on her
sex or shake the complacency of the Osraed, which seemed unfair.) I
will be keeping an eye out for the third.
%A Bohnhoff, Maya Kaathryn
%T The Meri
%I Baen Fantasy
%C New York
%D 1992
%G ISBN 0-671-72115-1
%P 268 pp.
%O paperback, US $4.99
%A Bohnhoff, Maya Kaathryn
%T Taminy
%I Baen Fantasy
%C New York
%D 1993
%G ISBN 0-671-72174-7
%P 423 pp.
%O paperback, US $4.99
(NB These two are in series with each other, but there is no series
title or numbering given; in fact, the books fail to mention that
_Taminy_ is a direct sequal to _The Meri_. The cover says only "by the
author of". I find this a bit annoying.)
Mary Kuhner mkku...@genetics.washington.edu