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FindingJane
Feb 21, 2016FindingJane rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This novel scintillates with its creation of a dazzlingly innovative world, one divided into Seasons (one for summer, fall, winter and spring) and Rhythms (places where all four seasons play out on in the usual annual rotation). It’s a notion of breathtaking design, a truly original kind of worldscape, written by a gifted author of astounding talent. The novel immerses us in a war-torn landscape, a world out of balance, with slavery, warfare, espionage and extreme wealth sharply contrasted with knuckle-grinding poverty. There isn’t a dull moment to be had here; every sentence and paragraph crackles with energy and tension. In the middle of it all is a powerful heroine, a girl whose power lies in her stubbornness and strength, who eschews soft clothes and idle gossip. Meira is a splendid character; it almost doesn’t matter that she’s female. That’s not because people look askance at her for her handling of weapons or ability to fight. They don’t, at least not the ones who matter. Her world has been thrown topsy turvy and all the people she knows have been reduced to a hard-scrabble, frontier existence. In such situations, no one sits on their fanny or acts like a pampered royal. Everybody works, doing whatever they can and to the best of their ability. For the most part of the book, Meira’s abilities to fight are no more remarkable than her ability to gather food, lift weights or leap off balconies. It’s also stimulating to read about her use of the chakram, her weapon of choice. I haven’t seen or read about a woman wielding one since “Xena Warrior Princess” went off the air and to read Meira’s adeptness with this deadly tool is beyond electrifying. Readers who love strong heroines, ladies who kick ass and take no names, ones who refuse to sit still or be forced to stay behind while the menfolk take care of the hard work are going to adore this series. I, for one, want to know what Meira is going to do once her kingdom is secured. There are difficult times ahead; this novel hasn’t finished taking us on its exciting journey.