A spot of culture shock.

Mara continues to solidify her power base and attack the family she wants revenge against. However, things change for her, and the book looks more deeply at the society on this planet when she gains a slave who is from Midkemia.

When he becomes a bedwarmer for her, she considers that she has bought into a lot of what she has been told from any early age.

This gives her a few ideas and helps with her rise to a Lady of political influence.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/10... ( )

Mara consolidates her clan's position against many odds. ( )

An enjoyable read ( )

Absolutely love this book. It's the whole ( )

Continuing the tales of Mara house Acoma in Kelewan. Boyed by her sucess against her enemies, Mara has gained enough time to consolodate her holdings and gain enough resources to continue the fight.

However her heart is also under siege, in the process of looking for cheap labour, Mara bought some Midekanian captives, one of which is the handsome Kevin, who quickly gains more than a slave can ever expect. However plotting and the deceits of her enemys means she can never let her guard down.

Much of the book concentrates on Kevin's teaching to Mara of the alternative forms of honour that exist - is dying honourably ever preferable to not dying at all?. Kevin's points of view provide interesting counterpoints to the Tsuarmi of Mara and her advisors. However we also see a few moments form her enemies most guarded councils. These excerts are odd, they are few and far between, but aren't always insights that Mara could have gained through her spys so they make little narrtive sense. However they do help to explain some of the forthcoming ploys.

The politics becomes very intricate, and unlike the rpevious volume does implicte some of the events featured at the end of Magician - that would make very little sense if you have not read this! Eventually the Emporer himself takes part in the great game of the Council with wide reaching consequences.

This book is very long, perhaps too long, but generally very enjoyable, full of intregue, excellant action scenes and insights into a foreign culture. ( )