Author: Marie Jakober

 ISBN: 189406318X

The following review was contributed by: Paul Lappen & CLICK TO VIEW Paul Lappen's Reviews

This historical fantasy is about an ancient land, and
its young queen's fight for her crown, her freedom and
the man she loves.

Several years previously, Marwen of Kamilan was
kidnapped and forced into a marriage with a heartless
lord from the neighboring kingdom of Dravia. With the
help of Keri, a warrior/minstrel who is part of a
caravan passing through Dravia, Marwen escapes. After
several weeks walking through forbidding terrain, they
arrive back in Kamilan.

Soon after the celebrating stops, the Kamilan Council
brings up the subject of Marwen, who is barely 20
years old, marrying and producing an heir to the
throne. An unmarried, childless queen is not
acceptable, so Marwen reluctantly marries Landis, one
of Kamilan's nobles. It's purely a political marriage,
until Marwen produces an heir, when the two go their
separate ways.

Meantime, Marwen resurrects the ancient, and
long-suppressed, religion of the hill queens, leaving
the Council aghast. It gets worse when Dravia sends a
military probe into Kamilan. Shadrak is a slaveborn
commander of an outpost who has been given permission
to train a company of men his way. He has also won
Marwen's heart. Shadrak defeats the Dravian attack,
but according to the Council, he didn't do it
honorably. Shadrak used hit and run, guerrilla tactics
which greatly limited the casualties among his men.
According to the Council, honorable combat means two
armies clashing in an open field, swords and lances
flying.

Marwen and Shadrak have several late night liaisons,
which brings the Council to near-mutiny. The
possibility of a half-breed ruling Kamilan is almost
too much to bear. But Marwen is not alone. She has
Keri, and she has Medwina, priestess of the goddess
Jana, and those of her people who keep the old
religion.

The proverbial final straw comes when Dravia sends a
full-fledged invasion force. There are many casualties
on the Kamilan side, but ultimately, with some sorcery
help, Shadrak and Kamilan are victorious. Marwen only
wants the Dravia forces out of Kamilan, but the
Council is shocked that she doesn't conquer Dravia.
They only see the possibility of more riches and power
for themselves, they don't see that Kamilan would have
to go on a permanent war footing. Feeling that Shadrak
has somehow bewitched Marwen, a plan is hatched to get
rid of Shadrak, permanently.

This is a first-rate piece of writing. It's more a
story of gender roles, and the cost of changing them,
than a sword and sorcery story. The author does a fine
job with the characters, and this is very much worth
reading.