This is a great summer read, a hop-along story of three characters whose lives are fatefully intertwined: Zuven, an orphan peasant, but of rather more interesting blood; Yelela the noblemwoman, the sole female to ever enrol in soldier school, and Haga the Baron, swordsman adventurer, and rebellious traitor to the false king.

Lighter and quicker than fantasy tomes from George R.R Martin or Robert Jordan, /The Silver Road/ is a discrete story - not part of an indefinite series - set in a familiar fantasy medievalesque world. Happily, it manages to remain fresh and interesting, despite the traditional setting; Grace Dugan's heroines are curious and thoughtful, and while set in a supposed time of great patriarchy and female subjugation, both find strength and break rules in mostly satisfying ways. Her heroes are a headscratcher - like him or loathe him? - and the fantasy land invokes the interestingness of great massively multiplayer games of today: one minute highlands jungle, a small trek from searing-heat desert ports, and a skip away from highland castles. Variety aplenty. Grab it for your beach holiday, and hope for a sequel.

posted by Cory Doctorow at 09:47:19 AM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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