Oh, bliss!  I became exhausted always worrying about work and studying to improve my skills.  I decided I was going to take some time and feed my brain things to make it happy.  I decadently ordered 4 books from Amazon (4 for 3 plus Super Saver Shipping = $21).  Two were Sharon Shinn books and two were Lee & Miller.  Unlike sometimes with Super Saver Shipping, they arrived immediately.  I spent a delightful evening immersing myself in Shinn's Safe-Keeper.

As always, Shinn starts with an interesting premise.  In a bucolic world, there are three trades of people with special, sometimes magical, talents.  The Safe-Keepers keep secrets.  What happens if someone tells a dark secret?  Is the role of the Safe-Keeper just to listen and provide relief to the teller by letting them not bear their secret alone?  If someone is being hurt, should the Safe-Keeper intervene?  How can she take action without revealing the secret?  The Truth-Tellers tell truth, even -especially - if people don't want to hear it.  The Truth-Tellers don't know everything, but sometimes the truth is magically revealed to them.  The Truth-Tellers aren't too popular, because truth can be uncomfortable.  The Dream-Makers can sometimes channel magic to make people's dreams come true.  Everyone cherishes the dream-makers.   A Dream-Maker's own life is tragic and hard to bear, but they gain some comfort by watching other people made happy through their magic.  The story is that on the night that the Safe-Keeper gives birth to a child of unknown paternity, a mysterious rider comes to her door and leaves her with another baby and a secret.  What happens to the babies and their secrets?  Read the book to find out.

I read that the Safe-Keeper series is written for teenagers.  I suppose that is so.  The book is not long - I read it in three hours.  The tone of the book is fairly calm.  The emotional conflicts aren't too conflicted.  I did cry during one sad part of the book. 

What role would I play if I existed in the book?  Definitely a Truth-Teller - uncomfortable and unsubtle.  I'm not a quiet, listening, sympathizing Safe-Keeper.  I'm definitely not a tragic but joy-giving Dream-Maker. 

 Sharon Shinn - Thank you for a very enjoyable evening and some interesting ideas to muse over!