Rich Text

No, I'm not talking about rich text format, though I do use that to email some of my reviews. I mean text that lives and breathes its setting, with details enriching the plot. I just read two books that exemplify this perfectly - Tomorrow's Treasure and Yesterday's Promise by Linda Chaikin.

I've read most of her earlier books, and noticed her characters seem to have identical roles in each book - a gallant rogue, a headstrong lady, a wimpy suitor, a wise mentor, a cruel dynasty-builder, and a backstabbing villain. But the East of the Sun series surprised me with its character depth and development.

The setting detail in the second book centered on South Africa, though part of the book took place in England. It made the book not merely a story, but an experience, though it made me chomp at the bit to find out what happened.