Tanya has worked at her tavern since she was able to see over the bar. She broke up her first fight at 11. By the time she was a teenager she knew everything about the place, and she could run it with her eyes closed. She’d never let anyone—whether it be a drunkard or a captain of the queen’s guard—take advantage of her. But when her guardian dies, she might lose it all: the bar, her home, her purpose in life. So she heads out on a quest to petition the queen to keep the tavern in her name—dodging unscrupulous guards, a band of thieves, and a powerful, enchanted feather that seems drawn to her. Fast-paced, magical, and unapologetically feminist, Wench is epic fantasy like you’ve never seen it before.
There is so much more magic in here than I was expecting!
I thought this was a standard medieval novel with added feminism, but I was wrong. There is a lot more here than that. This is a proper low fantasy. Granted, I didn't always follow what was happening with the quill...I got the basics, but not the blood magic bit...but it didn't matter to me, because Tanya knew, and she knew exactly what to do about it.
This is fantastic, funny, well written stuff. My only problem is the flirtations that don't go anywhere; Tanya's stuck in a triangle, and both other members seem to think they've won, but Tanya herself rarely thinks anything about it. Although I'm perfectly happy to find a novel where romance isn't the key feature, I do think it's a little unfair of Tanya not to set the others straight. So to speak.
That's a character point, though, and the fact that I'm arguing about it at all shows you how effectively it was written. I really enjoyed this, and I'd love a sequel if there was any way to have one. If not, I'll be happy with this.
Be aware, there is a small amount of situationally appropriate cursing.
Wench publishes on the 19th January, 2021.
No comments:
Post a Comment