 |
Anaiti's father knows he needs help to fend off the warriors from Agathyrsi. He decides the best chance for his kingdom to survive is to offer his daughter to the Scythian king to build an alliance and gain their protection. Anaiti would rather spend her time out on the plains with her horses, but she feels the pull of duty and agrees with her father's decision. When they meet the Scythian king and his three sons, Anaiti is surprised by just how old the king is. Still, she will do what she must for her family and kingdom.
As a hamazan, she must prove her worth in the fields with the warband before being taken as a wife. She is put under the care of the king's youngest son, Aric, leader of a large warband. Here, she impresses the others with her skill with horses, but she finds the men reluctant to accept her as one of their own. She must work twice as hard to gain the right to train and ride with the men, and some will always look for a way to be rid of her. However, the dour, one-eyed Aric grows on Anaiti as she learns that he is a man of honor and integrity. The two are in constant turmoil, torn between their duty to their families and the growing passion between them. Anaiti wishes to stay in this world of warriors, horses, and open plains rather than to be stuck in the Scythian court. Despite their best efforts, the time comes when each is called to fulfill their duties. Thinking of running away, the two realize they can't leave when they see signs of an advancing army.
Elliott has experience as a horse trainer and a background in archaeology. These combined passions led her to the writings of Herodotus, specifically those writings about the nomadic, and often considered barbaric, horsemen of the steppe. Elliott set out to write about these people from their point of view. She grounds her fiction in the evidence available to her and fictionalizes her characters' lives based on it. She not only draws on what is known about their nomadic lifestyle but also incorporates the religious beliefs and customs common at the time. This grounds the book solidly in the historical fiction genre. However, the sweeping story, the depth of the characters, the gritty view of combat, and the political implications arising from the characters' decisions will cause many readers to see this as fitting in a low fantasy setting. The sense of duty and the longing to be accepted by the other warriors, as seen in Anaiti, will remind readers of the character Brienne from George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire. Not only that, but the portions of Martin's work covering the Dothraki warriors are akin to the Scythian warband led by Aric. Readers of low fantasy who love sweeping, engaging stories should not pass this by when they see the historical fiction reference.
Elliot has written a remarkable first book for her expected trilogy. The writing is sharp, insightful, and full of memorable sentences and reflections on the human condition. Her characters are complicated, honorable, and flawed. Although the book isn't brimming with action, it is constantly full of tension, which keeps readers engaged. When there is action, it is as confusing, noisy, bloody, and quick as can be expected. This is an excellent work of historical fiction focusing on lesser-known nomads, but it is equally impressive for lovers of realistic fantasy, favoring strong storytelling and depth more than swordsmanship and heroics.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review