THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER is the third entry in Maria Ereni Dampman’s Daughters of the New American Revolution series, but coming to it late will not lock a new reader out. The stage is set quickly: this is a United States that could be, in which only white men still retain any appreciable rights. Edward James Bellamy—”a drunken, misogynistic bigot who did unspeakable things while hiding behind recitations of religious scriptures cherry picked for his specific needs”—stands over this new world as its Supreme Regent. His High Archon is mere months from being born to his daughter Emma, but Emma is not in the family residence, as the press claims. She’s hiding out with her husband Declan and other like-minded freedom fighters, doing what they can to get by.
As the delivery date of the High Archon approaches, several factions spring into action. Teenager Keira nurses a lost boy named Micah back to health, leading to a raid of the camp where children like him are being held prisoner. Declan is spirited away by a trio of women who seem to know more than they let on, encouraged to lead the charge against Bellamy. Louise, the wife of Bellamy, narrates the story of her traumatic life so far as she prepares for Bellamy’s birthday—a tragic Shakespearean affair in the making. And hidden away in the Residence is Trinity: an operative working behind the scenes to bring down Bellamy from within.
Emma, Declan, Keira, Louise, and Trinity pass the narrative back and forth, covering the many threads that will converge at Bellamy’s 60th birthday party. War, love, and even a sort of mysticism are in play, with a multitude of secrets to be revealed. For long-time readers of this series, many birds are coming home to roost; for newcomers, it’s still an exciting journey.
As a novel and as a collection of character studies, THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER is well-paced and well-written. Everything remains stable, even with multiple plot threads playing out and media spin within the narrative occasionally casting doubt on what’s really going on. Weaving this tangled web takes skill, and Dampman handles it admirably. All the narrators, from husband and wife Declan and Emma to the weary and put-upon Louise to the foul-mouthed and heroic Keira, are equally likable and flawed in their own ways.
However, THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER suffers from the same issue as many overtly political works: the only people likely to read past the first page are those already in agreement with the story’s philosophy. For people simply wanting a cathartic read, that works fine. It’s unlikely that such a story could be told subtly enough to win new hearts and minds, anyway. But it’s also not an especially gentle book: rape, assault, and psychological trauma are all discussed in depth. This may not be a book for some readers who find themselves too close to these situations; no punches are pulled, and it’s fair for potential readers to be cautioned of that coming in. Louise’s story in particular, while being the most intriguing character study, is also the most difficult to stomach.
THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER either will or will not appeal to readers, but they will know within the first paragraph whether this is a book for them. The joy of this novel is in its strong characters, each of whom exhibits a different sort of strength (coupled with believable weakness).
Maria Ereni Dampman’s THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER is well-written and well-paced. However, its political bluntness means it will likely only resonate with those who agree with its message, potentially coming on too strong to win any new hearts or minds.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader