Guest Post: “Malombra reviews The Hidden Face!” by S.C. Flynn

S.C. Flynn is the author of Children of the Different which I read and reviewed last year, and a week ago saw the release of his second novel The Hidden Face, an epic fantasy set in a world inspired by the Middle Ages and Kabbalistic riddles. Today I’m pleased to participate in his book tour as a celebration of its release – by hosting a guest post with a special twist! When you’re reading a novel, have you ever stopped to wonder what the characters themselves make of the book? Well, each guest post on this tour is going to be a part of a series featuring a review of The Hidden Face by a different character in it. And lucky us, we got the female baddie! I can’t wait to meet Malombra for myself when I get the chance to read the book, she sounds like someone I’ll have fun reading about!

Today’s post is written by Malombra, a famously beautiful woman who always remains hidden. Here is her meeting with a male character in “The Hidden Face”:

A big shatranj board on high legs stood in front of the canopy and a pile of cushions sat next to it. Astolf felt a thrill run through him as a woman’s hand appeared through the opening and began setting up the shatranj pieces on the board. The hand was perfect, with long, elegant fingers and wore an ornate ring on the middle finger. It was all he had ever seen of her. Astolf imagined yet again how perfect the body and face must be that belonged to that hand. Apart from the ring, there was no jewellery on the hand, no sleeve at the slender wrist that might have helped him even guess where she was from. He could just see her outline through the thin material.

Poor Astolf – he always desires what he can’t have. I like this kind of view from the other side of the veil, although everything looks very different from where I am. The veil is more like a spider web; I start it tingling and the whole empire responds.

It is good that this book includes active, important female characters like me and Sunniva. However, Sunniva’s adventures are given far more attention than mine. In part, this is understandable: like the “Shadow” in my name (in the Apollinian language), I keep out of sight so that no man ever sees my face. No living man, of course… . Still, the focus on Sunniva’s part of the story seems a deliberate choice that influences the way the events unfold; I can’t believe it indicates any preference for her over me.

Overall, I am happy enough with the way I am presented. The author is naturally obsessed with my beauty (his dreams about me must be spectacular!) but other aspects are also shown. We see my use of sex for pleasure and to control men, but also my skill in political manoeuvring and shatranj (chess) and my two-sword fighting technique. My herb garden, source of my poisons, love potions and many other means to power, appears as well. So much more could have been said… .

S.C. Flynn was born in a small town in South West Western Australia. He has lived in Europe for a long time; first the United Kingdom, then Italy and currently Ireland, the home of his ancestors. He still speaks English with an Australian accent, and fluent Italian.

He reads everything, revises his writing obsessively and plays jazz. His wife Claudia shares his passions and always encourages him.

S.C. Flynn has written for as long as he can remember and has worked seriously towards becoming a writer for many years.

THE HIDDEN FACE is his second novel and the first book in the Fifth Unmasking series.