Miranda and Caliban (Carey)

Miranda and Caliban 
Jacqueline Carey, 2017
Tom Doherty Assoc.
pp. 352
ISBN-13: 9780765386793


Summary
A lovely girl grows up in isolation where her father, a powerful magus, has spirited them to in order to keep them safe.

We all know the tale of Prospero's quest for revenge, but what of Miranda? Or Caliban, the so-called savage Prospero chained to his will?

In this incredible retelling of the fantastical tale, Jacqueline Carey shows readers the other side of the coin—the dutiful and tenderhearted Miranda, who loves her father but is terribly lonely.

And Caliban, the strange and feral boy Prospero has bewitched to serve him. The two find solace and companionship in each other as Prospero weaves his magic and dreams of revenge.

Always under Prospero’s jealous eye, Miranda and Caliban battle the dark, unknowable forces that bind them to the island even as the pangs of adolescence create a new awareness of each other and their doomed relationship.

Miranda and Caliban is bestselling fantasy author Jacqueline Carey’s gorgeous retelling of The Tempest. With hypnotic prose and a wild imagination, Carey explores the themes of twisted love and unchecked power that lie at the heart of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, while serving up a fresh take on the play's iconic characters. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth— October 9, 1964
• Where—Highland Park, Illinois, USA
• Education—B.A., Lake Forest College
• Awards—Locust Award-Best First Novel
• Currently—lives in western Michigan


Jacqueline Carey is the author of the New York Times bestselling Kushiel's Legacy series, beginning with Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen and Kushiel's Avatar, The Sundering epic fantasy duology, postmodern fables "Santa Olivia" and "Saints Astray," and the Agent of Hel contemporary fantasy series. Carey lives in west Michigan. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
(Starred review.) Carey turns Shakespeare’s Tempest on its head…with this brilliant deconstruction.… The foreordained pattern of the play mixes beautifully with Carey’s intricate characterization and eye for sensory detail, building mercilessly to dazzling, and devastating, tragic effect.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) In this stand-alone, Carey evokes the same stunning worldbuilding and imagery of her "Kushiel's Legacy" and "Sundering" series, as she stirs new emotions from an old story and reveals another side to Shakespeare's epic play.
Library Journal


Infused with dark magic, broken trust, and lost innocence.… Miranda and Caliban, both narrators with distinct voices, are given rich inner lives through Carey’s delicate, sensitive portrayal.
Booklist


[A]n eye-opening…back story of Shakespeare's The Tempest as a tale of star-crossed lovers. [Carey]…transforms the largely passive Shakespearean Miranda into a dutiful yet dignified and ultimately tragic figure.… Intriguing and impressive.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, please use these LitLovers talking points to help start your discussion for Miranda and Caliban…then take off on your own:

1. While it's not necessary, it would be helpful to read The Tempest by Shakespeare to determine how Jacqueline Carey has reimagined the original. If you are all ready familiar with the play, what alterations has Carey made in the bard's characters and plot.

2. How do you describe Miranda? Does her dutifulness to her father make her seem passive to you?

3. Talk about Prospero, the island's god-like character, who in Shakespeare's play is kind and wise. How does Carey portray him in her version? In what way does Prospero view his daughter as a tool for his own purposes? How is he blinded by prejudice to Caliban?

4. Given his bestial appearance and behavior, what attracts Miranda to Caliban? What does she see in him at first, which, of course, later blossoms under her tutelage. What does she learn from Caliban about her father and his plans for her?

5. What is Prospero motivations for capturing and civilizing Caliban? What are his intentions for the boy?

6. Discuss the role of vengeance in this story?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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