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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No escaping the past for the Rhomandi brothers., 22 May 2000
By A Customer
With the battle of the Ringmasters over, the series' main characters take stock, of some of the elements that featured in Lightning and Intrigue. In Rhomatum, Kiyrstin and Lidye, both pregnant, slug it out regarding their personal difficulties, what to do about the incomplete ring complement following the battle, and who is really in charge of them. And in a soldiers' camp situated close to a newly developing node between Rhomatum and Khoratum are the three Rhomandi brothers, and Ganfrion. Here, on a minor level, we have the explanation of what happened to Deymorin's horse Ringer. And on a somewhat more dramatic level we learn the true nature of Dancer, only hinted at during the close of Lightning. Dancer is a development, which, in less sensitive hands could have become as dubious as her descriptions of the physicality of sex could have degenerated into fluffy. For Dancer is a Child of Rakshi, a 'Tweener, with three personalities: androgynous, male, and female. And to complicate matters further, Dancer and Mikhyel are now lovers. Mikhyel's problem is how to reconcile himself and his associates, perhaps the long suffering Nethaalye in particular, to the idea of such a union, whilst Dancer's is one of coming to terms with the notion that in Mikhyel's frame of reference Dancer is a freak of nature, not the creature of purity that Mother encouraged Dancer to believe in. Jane Fancher's skill, with this potential hell-brew, is well demonstrated by the following line from the scene in which Mikhyel and Dancer are intimates. 'Temorii's hands sought the sensitive instrument of loving that had gone suddenly silent, a gently teasing touch that brought Mikhyel easily back to the music....' (Temorii is Dancer's female side). I thought that was so nicely done, unlike so many others' attempts at such. These matters take up approximately the first half of the book. From there we move quickly onto Rhomatum, where Mikhyel busies himself in, post-battle, legalities in order to stabilise the Rhomatum web inclusive of potential others from the recent fall out. Deymorin takes charge of casting the replacement Giephaetum/Shatum and Khoratum/Persitum rings, and discovers his talent for ringspinning, which might usurp Lidye's hold. And Nikeanor's eighteenth birthday comes around, a time of celebration Lidye intends to use to reinforce her own grasp on power. The final section with its defeat of their old adversary, rom Maurii, and the birth of the three brothers' babies is a conclusion of the story so far. But there's plenty to keep the series spinning on. I read fairly widely in this genre, and feel, after reading all three, so far, of this series, that these books are one of the truly worthwhile additions to the field, in terms of quality of writing, development of character, world building, and originality of themes. They're definitely worth any serious fantasy fan's dollars.
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