King's Dragon by Kate ElliottMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Excellent first volume of Elliott's seven volume epic. I really enjoyed this - it has the character depth and world building complexity that I find rarely in fantasy - maybe only in Robin Hobb or Tad Williams novels.
Elliot's world contains most of the usual fantasy tropes: warring royalty, orphaned boy with 'mysterious unknown parentage', distressed and abused females, fantastical creatures, supernatural beings, complex religious beliefs... you've got it all here, but there are some stark differences. The treatment of women for one. Here, women have far more power than in other popular fantasy series, and it was a really refreshing read as a result.
Women wield power both politically and socially, they hold titles and are figures of authority and power within the church/religious system Elliott has devised. Best of all women are present on the battlefield, they fight alongside the men, in armour, with shields and all the other weaponry. They practice and dabble in sorcery.
Consequently the dynamic here is notably different from, say, Game of Thrones (where women are far more scare and hold token positions of power or are frequently just elevated sex symbols.) The women in this novel are key players, they frequently (in the case of the sinister Biscop Antonia or the scheming Sabella, but also Liath, Hannah, Rosvita) channel and direct the plot, using their power and influence to manipulate and control the men, they aren't used as plot devices - they are central to the story and plot development themselves.
I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting. It is refreshingly different and exceptionally well crafted for a first volume novel with brilliant and evocative characters and settings. I'm looking forward to delving into the other volumes I have purchased.
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