I loved this book. Passionately. I read the last 1/3 in one sitting. It is slam full of strong female characters. Rali, the Captain of the Maranon Guard, in particular. But there are so many others I loved: Polillo, the axe-wielding woman with a giant's strength, Corais, the woman who gave her life to save Rali, and Ismet, an older warrior who is the heart of the Maranon. Even Xia, the princess, kicked butt.
Sure, they are all lesbians, every last one of them, but it was so very refreshing to have an entire cast of strong female characters that I didn't mind a bit. In fact, it just added to my glee at their lack of care for what society thinks. It was so refreshing to find a book that unabashedly says that women are equal to (and sometimes better than) their male counterparts. Couple that with a great story, and I was hooked.
The action didn't stop. The scenic lands were inspiring. The demons and evil Archon were scary. This book had everything from cannibalistic demons to sea battles to love scenes. It was so far and away better than it's prequel, and many other Fantasy books that I've read, that I'd give it 13 stars if I could.
Sure, they are all lesbians, every last one of them, but it was so very refreshing to have an entire cast of strong female characters that I didn't mind a bit. In fact, it just added to my glee at their lack of care for what society thinks. It was so refreshing to find a book that unabashedly says that women are equal to (and sometimes better than) their male counterparts. Couple that with a great story, and I was hooked.
The action didn't stop. The scenic lands were inspiring. The demons and evil Archon were scary. This book had everything from cannibalistic demons to sea battles to love scenes. It was so far and away better than it's prequel, and many other Fantasy books that I've read, that I'd give it 13 stars if I could.
Entertaining tale - lots of action, magic, some humor, a little sadness.
Good story! At first, it was hard to "get into", but as I stuck with it, it got better and better. A little different, as it is written as a tale being told to a scribe who intends to publish it for the warrior woman hero. If you don't mind a slow starting saga, I highly recommend it!
