The Sword of Winter [Hardcover]

Not much sorcery, but plenty of swords, towered castles, etc, in the woman-warrior tradition. Randall writes with a good dollop of humor, too-- anyone who likes Robin McKinley's Daria series, or the Pern books or the Darkover series, should be very happy. Heroine Lyeth, a sort of knight for an evil king, finds herself tangled in battle for the crown (or in this case, ceremonial sword, hence the title) in a wintery land called Jentesi. Eventually, the story l becomes a murder mystery, but an appropriately enchanting one.

Marta Randall's "The Sword of Winter" is a science fantasy story similar in style to George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones." The "Sword" in this novel refers to the Throne of the Northern Kingdom of Jentesi which is ruled by a dying king named Lord Gambin. Gambin a cruel and unjust king not loved by his people. The main character of the story is Lyeth who is Lord Gambin's personal Rider and oathed to him until his death. As a Rider, Lyeth is charged with bringing news to the surrounding lands ruled by Gambin as well as delivering justice by bringing in law-breakers. During her travels she comes upon a young orphaned village boy named Emris. After a prank which Lyeth doesn't find amusing, she takes the boy into her custody and brings him back to the capitol of Jentesi. There starts the bones of the story. Lyeth returns realizing that things are never as they seem in Jentesi. As plots unfold and individual political agendas arise over the struggle for power, Lyeth and Emris are entangled in a dangerous web of which there's no escape. Here are my thoughts;

Pros

+ Well written story and a unique cast of characters.

+ Great mix of political intrigue, friendships, humor and even a bit of romance.

+ Contained a moderately detailed map of the realm and Jentesi Castle. Also included was an intricate illustration of an astrology clock encrusted with gemstones detailing Emris' fortune, which was interesting but ultimately unnecessary.

+ Winter setting added the harshness of the story.

Cons

- No royal family tree. With so many characters involved in the story it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was who and what position they held.

- Inclusion of things such as telegraphs, steam machines, electricity generators, mechanical astrology machines, indoor plumbing etc broke the emersion of the fantasy- style setting.

- Little to no action. While the story held up on it's own an addition of a few combat elements couldn't have hurt.

- Talmas, talmas and more talmas. If you don't know what a talma is you will by the end of this book as it's mentioned at least once on every page. In fairness however, it is a symbol of the Rider's attire and recognized by all, therefore every Rider wears one. I just felt it was a little over-used.

- Incomplete map. I noticed in the first chapter the author mentioned three places Lyeth had just travelled and they were no where to be found on the map.

- I would have liked to have learned more about the Trappers and their culture. More of their involvement in the story would have been great, especially with the character of Laret. The author also never explained the significance of the stones Laret was so obsessed with.

- Author begins uses specific people early on in the book without describing who or what they are. Examples include Lyeth's strong dislike for Jandi and the use of the terms shadeen/shadi. It's difficult for the reader to put things into context.

- Ending was a bit too abrupt and overly convenient.

Going into this book I wasn't really sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised at the finish. This book could easily be continued and honestly should be as there were so many open possibilities. Combine that with the strong characters and you would have a series I think many would follow. I should mention that this book is not your typical fantasy read which may turn some people away. There is almost no "sword" and absolutely no "sorcery" in the book and I thought it was worth mentioning. Otherwise, the book was a good read and recommendable.

Sword of Winter is one of those books that you keep thinking about long after reading it. I first read this novel a number of years ago and loved it. Had I been able to find other books by this author, I would have read them as well. Recently, I couldn't stop thinking about the book,so dug it out and read it again. It is still every bit as delightful as the first time I read it. This time I hope to be able to obtain some of her other stories.
The story of a hardened woman warrior in an environment of political intrigue, who nonetheless finds a soft spot in her heart for an orphan, Sword easily held my interest.

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