Source: Bought
This is the first book of the Women in Fantasy challenge. I haven't really been reading fantasy as of late, and I was almost reluctant to get back into it (because, with school, I prefer really short reads, and I sometimes get bogged down in longer books). Boy, was I surprised! This book was such a quick read, because I could not put it down! I was not expecting to like it nearly as much as I did.
Yeinne is the leader of a back-water little kingdom that most of the rest of her world considers a land of barbarians. She is surprised when she is summoned to the city of Sky, the center of the kingdoms, where the most powerful family, the Arameri, reside; technically, the Arameri are her family, since her mother was an heiress disowned for wedding far beneath her. Thus, Yeinne is beyond surprised when she is told she has been named her grandfather's heir, and is part of the contest of succession, and is no longer a baroness of her former home, but must live there in Sky. As she becomes acquainted with the huge, intricate palace, she realizes that there is more than meets the eye: defeated gods commanded by the noble Arameri and her two scheming cousins who want nothing more than to get rid of her.
The gods, or the Enefadeh, are the siblings of Itempas, the central god, and their children. They take an unusual interest in Yeinne-but as she spends more time with them, the odder she feels, as if there's someone else inside her. That plus a potentially budding romance with none other than the Night Lord, Nahadoth, plus her scheming cousins and grandfather, create an exciting story.
The way the story was told was one of my favorite parts of the book-it was a richly textured story with beautiful prose, and the interchange between perspectives was beautifully realized, although confusing at times, until All Is Explained. In a way, this book reminded me of Jacqueline Carey's D'Angeline trilogies, particularly the first one-politics, romance, and mythology all wrapped up beautifully. The politics made for a fun read, with the scheming Arameri trying to outdo each other. It was just enough, without a huge cast of actors and branching family trees. Instead, the other set of actors is the Enefadeh, which was really cool, and not something I was expecting.
The Enefadeh were my favorite characters. I loved the relationships that developed, almost against Yeinne's will, especially with Sieh, who saw her as a mother (why is explained in the Big Reveal) and Nahadoth, who saw her as a lover. Again, the romance with a god was another completely unexpected and wonderful element.
And finally, the world-building was absolutely fantastic. Even though it was an incredibly complex world, the story isn't bogged down with unnecessary details, just enough for you to understand Yeinne's story, and yet the details reveal a rich and complicated world, made up of warring kingdoms (basically, medieval feudal Europe on steroids). I thought that the semi-floating palace (it's on a single pier, basically), with only circular rooms, was so cool, especially because the dead spaces were where the Enefadeh dwelled.
Everything about this book was just pure awesomeness-the characters, the story, the romance, the politics, the world. It served to remind me of how fun it can be to read fantasy-I really needed the prodding. It's also making me want to re-read all my Jacqueline Carey books (not that I haven't read them 80 times!)-I absolutely love authors that include a detailed and complex world and mythology. Speaking of Jacqueline Carey, next up is my review of Santa Olivia, a much different, but no less fantastic, story than her usual.
Grade: 5/5
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