Published by: Harper Voyager, October 3rd 2017
Genre: High Fantasy, Feminism
Pages: 448
Format: Ebook
Source: Harper Voyager, via Edelweiss
A dark power called the Talisman has risen in the land, born of ignorance and persecution. Led by a man known only known as the One-eyed Preacher, it is a cruel and terrifying movement bent on world domination—a superstitious patriarchy that suppresses knowledge and subjugates women. And it is growing.
But there are those who fight the Talisman's spread, including the Companions of Hira, a diverse group of influential women whose power derives from the Claim—the magic inherent in the words of a sacred scripture. Foremost among them is Arian and her apprentice, Sinnia, skilled warriors who are knowledgeable in the Claim. This daring pair have long stalked Talisman slave-chains, searching for clues and weapons to help them battle their enemy’s oppressive ways. Now, they may have discovered a miraculous symbol of hope that can destroy the One-eyed Preacher and his fervid followers: The Bloodprint, a dangerous text the Talisman has tried to erase from the world.
Finding a copy of The Bloodprint promises to be their most dangerous undertaking yet, an arduous journey that will lead them deep into Talisman territory. Though they will be helped by allies—a loyal ex-slave and Arian’s former confidante and sword master—both Arian and Sinnia know that this mission may well be their last.
A dark power called the Talisman has risen in the land, born of ignorance and persecution. Led by a man known only known as the One-eyed Preacher, it is a cruel and terrifying movement bent on world domination—a superstitious patriarchy that suppresses knowledge and subjugates women. And it is growing.
But there are those who fight the Talisman's spread, including the Companions of Hira, a diverse group of influential women whose power derives from the Claim—the magic inherent in the words of a sacred scripture. Foremost among them is Arian and her apprentice, Sinnia, skilled warriors who are knowledgeable in the Claim. This daring pair have long stalked Talisman slave-chains, searching for clues and weapons to help them battle their enemy’s oppressive ways. Now, they may have discovered a miraculous symbol of hope that can destroy the One-eyed Preacher and his fervid followers: The Bloodprint, a dangerous text the Talisman has tried to erase from the world.
Finding a copy of The Bloodprint promises to be their most dangerous undertaking yet, an arduous journey that will lead them deep into Talisman territory. Though they will be helped by allies—a loyal ex-slave and Arian’s former confidante and sword master—both Arian and Sinnia know that this mission may well be their last.
I had no idea what to expect of this, but it was about feminists against the patriarchy in a fantasy world so of course I was on board. But this book has so many facets, and I loved every one of them.
Religion in a positive light! The Claim is written so well - both how it makes the people who use it feel and the wording itself. Such a clever way to fuse religion and magic. The characters didn't let me down either - the main character has dedicated herself to freeing women from slave chains, by using her magic and status as First Oralist, and I loved her so much for that. There's romance as well, which I love (Daniyar is so sweet, honestly, he'd better be okay in book two!) and Sinnia, another female character, is awesome too. I love how the ladies of this book interact.
There's so much to praise and talk about - the world, the writing, the politics, different inclusions of race, tribes, culture, gender, the patriarchy, and especially the treatment of women. It had the right amount of fantasy and magic too - everything was balanced. I want to read the next book!
Characters ★★★★☆
Setting/world ★★★★☆
Writing ★★★★☆
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