Review: Classic Hero Tale
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 7, 2013
This book reminds me of Amber Jacobs' Nights of Silk and Sapphire, [...] in a lot of respects.  The protagonist is an outsider who suddenly finds herself in a totally female environment where sex is considered normal and fun.  The protagonist also has unexpected military skills that save the day, the protagonist also falls for the princess.Otherwise, not so much.  Ms Jacob's book is an Arabian Nights harem fantasy where Dae, the protagonist is a "pleasure servant".  In this book, Skye, the protagonist, is a student at a semi-military academy and takes a much more active role in the subsequent war.  One reviewer pointed out some deficiencies, and I'll name one that bugged me: no explanation of the Gramlain motive is ever given.  In addition, the Ha'kan know how devious and two-faced their Gramlain allies are, but never suspect them of starting the war.I realize Dallan is fixated and can't look beyond her need to find and possess Skye by any means; with force, if necessary.  But the Queen, the commanding General, the Priestesses all of them weren't fixated.  Somebody should have noticed at least once in three years that the Tavinter weren't fighting back.This minor annoyance aside, the book is exquisite and a pure delight to read.  After finishing it, I went back for a re-read three days later.  It was even better the second time.  The vindication of the misunderstood hero is a timeless theme and it is so well written and so well played in this novel that it is very much worth reading over and over.Edited to add: in the third book of the series, part of the Garmlain motives are explained.  Some plot threads are going to wait for future volumes to conclude, so be advised that the book is designed to function both as a stand alone and as an integral part of a series.  So some plot points will be concluded and some will be continued in another volume.