Into the Dark Lands - Michelle Sagara West Okay, before other Michelle West lovers burn me in effigy, let me explain why I'm giving this two stars, and let me also say I love West's writing. The Sun Sword series is one of the best series ever. Go read it now!This, you will notice, is not the Sun Sword series. It is West's first book, a fact that West tells you and will be obivous to any experienced reader. At times it is unclear who is thinking what and even what is happening. Some of the scenes feel like gothic gone bad, if you know what I mean. To be honest, I've read better first novels.That said, there are some very wonderful bits to this novel. Anyone who is familiar with West's work will see beginnings here of themes and plot ideas. Like some of her other work, West examines what extactly good and evil are, when do darkness and light reverse. It isn't as in depth as some of her other work, but it is still there. The story is also interesting in two of its influences. It obivously is a battle between the forces of heaven and the forces of hell (it does make on think of Milton's war of heaven, with far less poetry). It also is a "Beauty and the Beast" story. It is so close to the French salon versions, it is stunning. West even copies the use of food and dining that one sees in these versions.