The setting had a definite sense of weight and depth to it, and the politics was intriguing, if occasionally confusing. I was fascinated with the way religion and magic seemed to be intertwined, even as I worried that Margerit was happily and blindly heading towards being declared a heretic. ... I really enjoyed Daughter of Mystery and am looking forward to reading the next book.
Following in the tradition of Ellen Kushner is Heather Rose Jones, whose Alpennia series takes a similarly alternative/fantastical 19th-century Europe and populates it with queer characters.
This is a Ruritanian fantasy. It’s also a pretty straight-ahead romance, which isn’t generally my thing, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. ... This is lots of fun, and Goodreads calls it “Alpennia #1” which implies there are more, so those are going on my long long TBR list for whenever I can get to them.
Ever wanted to try a F/F title, but weren't sure of where to start — or are you a huge F/F fan, looking for something new? We took to Twitter to find some favorites! (Apologies to your growing TBR pile.)
I generally don’t care for thrilling tales of the grasping upper classes unless those stories involve tumbrels and guillotines. Jones manages to sidestep my distaste by focusing on characters whose rank confers very little in the way of power...
Is Heather Rose Jones' Daughter of Mystery a lesbian romance? A work of historical fiction? A fantasy? An adventure story? A tale of court intrigue? After finishing the book earlier today, I'm not quite sure what genre to place it in. What I am certain, though, is that I closed the book with a distinct sense of feminist satisfaction.
