"how women in that situation survive, but as individuals, and in terms of staying alive itself. Though they’re passive on the surface, they’re able to twist and manipulate the rules designed to enslave them to survive, and they become strong through their relationships with each other, even the rivals, and events that most high fantasy would use to make a woman a victim are used to make her a survivor."
When I read that my mind leapt directly to Janny Wurts and Raimond Feists trilogy Daughter of the Empire, etc. set in the Tsurani (pseudo Japanese) homeworld. I like the women and the female protagonist in those books the most, I guess Feist can't write women protagonists on his own, the rest of his books have male protagonists.
Amazon quote: Mara is taking her final religious vows when a messenger interrupts the ceremony to report the deaths in battle of her father and brother. Now Ruling Lady of the Acoma, the teenager must rally its depleted forces against many enemies, particularly Lord Jingu of the Minwanabi, who sent her menfolk to their demise.
Hampered though she is by the rigid traditions of her Oriental society, Mara replenishes her army with the masterless grey warriors and skillfully reaches a bargain with the cho-ja, insectoid aliens.
Her most dangerous gambit is a political marriage to cement an alliance. Deprived of overt status, she finds it difficult to manipulate her brutish but cunning husband. This full-bodied dynastic fantasy has the sweep and drama of a good historical novel about an exotic time and place.
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branchandroot
off on a tangent
Date: 2008-08-26 09:30 am (UTC)When I read that my mind leapt directly to Janny Wurts and Raimond Feists trilogy Daughter of the Empire, etc. set in the Tsurani (pseudo Japanese) homeworld. I like the women and the female protagonist in those books the most, I guess Feist can't write women protagonists on his own, the rest of his books have male protagonists.
Amazon quote:
Mara is taking her final religious vows when a messenger interrupts the ceremony to report the deaths in battle of her father and brother. Now Ruling Lady of the Acoma, the teenager must rally its depleted forces against many enemies, particularly Lord Jingu of the Minwanabi, who sent her menfolk to their demise.
Hampered though she is by the rigid traditions of her Oriental society, Mara replenishes her army with the masterless grey warriors and skillfully reaches a bargain with the cho-ja, insectoid aliens.
Her most dangerous gambit is a political marriage to cement an alliance. Deprived of overt status, she finds it difficult to manipulate her brutish but cunning husband. This full-bodied dynastic fantasy has the sweep and drama of a good historical novel about an exotic time and place.