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bookstuff's review against another edition
1.0
Gratuitous character abuse! Almost threw this at the wall.
wealhtheow's review
4.0
Firethorn is just a peasant, but her passion for Sire Galen (and his for her) led her to become his mistress. After she endures terrible trials following the army and assisting Sire Galen, he grants her a tract of land. But rather than live in peace and comfort, Firethorn disobeys his orders and follows him once more. Her luck is against her--she is struck by lightning, and spends the rest of the book recovering from neurological damage while slowly losing her vision. The damage is particularly terrible for Firethorn, who has always prided herself on her quick wit, on knowing the uses of plants, and healing her fellow camp followers. Not only is Firethorn's speech and much of her memory taken from her, but she soon finds herself the captive of Sire Galen's enemy, in a foreign land.
This book is awesome. Micklem has clearly considered how her world works, from top to bottom. No society has a ready analog in our world; there are no feudal McEuropes or exotic Asias in her writing. Her characters are equally well-developed and thought out. Firethorn is a complicated woman, driven by desire, pride, and a certitude in gods and magic that is never completely born out by the text. (I love that Micklem never makes it clear whether magic exists or not.)
This is one of the more class and gender conscious books I've read in quite some time, without ever being heavy-handed or pedantic. It's a nuanced examination of the power social mores and norms have on us. I really hope Micklem chooses to write more in this series!
This book is awesome. Micklem has clearly considered how her world works, from top to bottom. No society has a ready analog in our world; there are no feudal McEuropes or exotic Asias in her writing. Her characters are equally well-developed and thought out. Firethorn is a complicated woman, driven by desire, pride, and a certitude in gods and magic that is never completely born out by the text. (I love that Micklem never makes it clear whether magic exists or not.)
This is one of the more class and gender conscious books I've read in quite some time, without ever being heavy-handed or pedantic. It's a nuanced examination of the power social mores and norms have on us. I really hope Micklem chooses to write more in this series!
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