Rating: 
Summary: Magical in Every Possible Way...
Review: _Sleeping in Flame_ is a mystic journey, both for the characters seeking to find themselves and for the audience--who, after a few hundred pages, no longer know exactly what to expect from this book, but are absolutely delighted with every unexpected turn. It begins, much like Carroll's other novels, as a regular storyline. Suddenly, though, and without warning we are thrust into the unknown, with the main character. It seems that Carroll is asking us to follow Walker Easterling on his quest to find himself. Just as the characters learn about themselves as characters, readers learn about themselves AS readers. Not only must we encounter the unknown in this book, like Walker, we must manipulate it and force it to help us survive, to help us remain within the domain of at least partial understanding. I think, above most things, this book is about survival. Walker must encounter a strange new world, with new rules, in order to survive. He must work magic, and sacrifice magic, in order to have his love, Maris York, survive. Ultimately, his desperate attempts at survival threaten the survival of his unborn son. Strange that a book whose main theme relies so much upon reincarnation would simultaneously center itself around the need to survive. In order to live as a normal human being, Walker must admit to himself that he is a fictional character. In order to survive, then, the characters in this novel must realize that they might not exist. The power of this novel exists beyond the boundaries of the printed page, and might not be completely evident with a first encounter. Nevertheless, _Sleeping in Flame_ is a novel that works on several different levels. On the one hand, it is an entirely satisfying fantasy novel, complete with memorable characters and a quickly evolving plot. On the other, it offers an interpretation of reading, writing, survival, death and love that I find particularly poignant. One of the most delightful parts of this novel, though, is the way in which these interpretations are presented to the reader. Carroll is a most subtle writer when it comes to philosophy. Readers may want to think deeply about some of the thematic issues that arise from this novel. Or they can just toss them aside and enjoy it as a well-crafted fantasy story. We, as readers, have the power to decide how much we want to put into this novel. Carroll just sits back, with the knowing smirk he displays on the back cover, and waits for us to make our own decisions.
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