ISBN: 0-345-46105-3 Order from: Amazon.com
An entertaining, frequently tense adventure with an admirable heroine and interesting if rather simplistic world.
Reviewed by David on December 27, 2003
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: The civilized, if low-technology countries around the Inland Sea depend heavily on trade. And few people of respected more than the small society of Steerswomen: a group dedicated to exploration, map-making and preserving knowledge. One of their most treasured attributes is their dedication to share their knowledge: if asked a question, every steerswoman must answer to the best of her knowledge.
The Steerswoman Rowan is a classic example: she loves exploration, insatiably curious and absolutely dedicated to truth. It comes as a shock to the Steerswoman, normally repected throughout the civilized lands, when her questions lead to attempts on her life. Her quest for knowledge will force her to travel further than any of her colleagues, and be hunted by the only group that have never needed the Steerswoman's knowledge—the Wizards.
Full review: The Steerswomen (and a few Steersmen) are portrayed as admirable combination of exploreres, scientists and librarians. Occasionally improbably good at detecting, they seem like humble Bene Gesserit Dune. However, the somewhat startling brilliance is well integrated into the plot, and is compensated by plenty of human, flawed fumbling for answers.
The world in this series (the book includes two full novels, previously out of print) seems curiously small, but this is eventually explained. The characters, for the most part, are well-portrayed, and the adventures are tense, with intellectual satisfaction of discovery taking place of the more usual triumphs.
While treated as equals, the men seem to be taking a smaller part in the series than one would expect in the circumstances.
While coming to a partial conslusions, each novel is unmistakenly part of a longer story, and the sequels (at least two) are required for the reader to complete the plot. Luckily, the novels are entertaining enough that this is not a hardship.
Includes: The Steerswoman, The Outskirter's Secret
Overall: 6; Plot: 6.5; Characters: 6; Style: 5.5; World-building: 6.5; Originality: 6;
Copyright date 1989, 1992, 2003, Meisha Merlin Publishing (MM), July 2003, Trade paperback, 653 pages
ISBN: 0-345-46105-3 Order from: Amazon.com