Feb 21, 2010: The first chapter is a solid beginning to a sword and sorcery story with a female guard and a young magician who hires her to protect a shop.

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Apr 18, 2010: Great things about this story:

Textured and real-feeling fantasy world not set in a European forest. I love the multiple religions, countries, languages and belief systems we experience in just 12 installments of this story.

Lots of different kinds of people inhabit this story: husbands, wives, mothers, young adults, kids. This isn’t a world full of teens, or a world of adults mysteriously without families or context.

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Apr 18, 2010: This is a well-written story with a strong and fascinating protagonist walking a solid, well-crafted world.

Guard Jo has just been hired to guard a merchant’s family and, given the presence of a magician, anything might happen. Can’t wait to see what does.

I’m thinking the fledgling partnership between Jo and Tobias will take them far beyond the town’s walls and into all kinds of mischief and mayhem. It’ll be fun to [more . . .]

Apr 16, 2010: "Strong Heart" touches on one of my favorite motifs in fiction, alternative sexuality. In this case, the protagonist Jo is transgender, a female-bodied person taking a male role in society, because in her culture only men may be warriors. (I was amused by the particular manner in which it was handled: they tell the gods, "so sorry, the child turned out to be a boy after all.") The role is called "dagha pavadkar," which translates as "pure warrior."

Jo leaves her [more . . .]