Quite enjoyable, once the second half of the stereogram rolled around. The first half I found a little slow, though the introduction of the stereogram concept I found very interesting, as well as the shared sensations. It really got interesting for me when the second perspective arrived and I realized the same set of events were being told from a different POV. This is very closely related to my feelings about POV and how you can convey each character's unique perspective, not with explicit thoughts, but with observations of surroundings and reactions to them. Wonderfully done!
I liked how the mindlink did not actually convey thoughts, but only physical reactions. Most emotions manifest as some kind of physical reaction, but some can be easily confused with others, a flushed face could be anger or embarrassment, etc... You would think that this kind of link would bring you ever closer to the one you're linked to, because you're always sharing, but in some cases (this one included), it could distance you even further. Without the link, I must actively observe to try to gauge my wife's mood, and if I am inattentive to the cues, that's where an argument often starts. With the link, one could be fooled into thinking you really understand the other person to their core, and actually make you less observant as a result.
I find the idea of shared sensations at its core extremely attractive idea--especially for sex. Imagine what a great lover one could be when you share sensations, and I have always wondered how things feel on behalf of the other sex (something which can never really be experienced in this world, but in the world of the story it is common). I would probably not be so keen on the idea during menstruation and childbirth, but even then I imagine it could bring a couple closer, actually understanding what the other is going through.
I enjoyed the "Loren" section MUCH more than the "Jessica" section. Perhaps it was the tone in which the character was read, but Jessica seemed to be a little too... perfect. She just HAPPENS to be picked by the Elf Warrior Lord, she just HAPPENS to have figured out how to shield her thoughts to just the right amount, she just HAPPENS to find a weapon that's good enough to kill her husband... Maybe "perfect" is the wrong word. Maybe "deus ex machina" is more accurate.
Whatever it is, I did not like the second half of the story. It became much less interesting when it was about humans rebelling against their Elven Overlords than when it was about Elven Overlords.
It made perfect sense to me. Loren craves human resistance more than she does; he's just been bored since the war ended. Whether consciously or not, I believe he picked her because he knew she was capable of doing what she did, and he wanted to facilitate the rekindling of the war. I didn't see his lack of foresight as being unobservant by nature, more that he is intentionally avoiding coming to the conclusion that she will try to kill him, so that he can really enjoy the moment when it comes.
