"Very entertaining fantasy"
In the land of the Saeditin, power and wealth are held
through the matriarchal line with the head of the kingdom,
the Saeket, always a woman. At eight years of age the
heir to the throne, Rilsin Sae Becha sees her mother
killed in a civil war that put a Saeket Melisin on the
throne. The order went out that the disposed Sae Becha
was to be put to death but she was murdered by an assassin
before that order could be carried out. The new Saeket, Rilsin's cousin Sithli commutes the death
sentence of the child and they grow up in the palace
together as best friends. Rilsin pledges her loyalty to
Sithli and becomes the first minister and leader of the
army. Sithli is not a very good leader, alienating the
commoners and allowing her people to be sold as slaves to
the south. The land calls to Rilsin but if she answers
that summons, she will plunge the country into another
civil war and stands to lose all she holds dear. THE SWORD OF THE LAND is a very entertaining fantasy
featuring a heroine it is impossible to dislike. She is
loyal to her cousin who she truly loves and tries to turn
a blind eye to her excesses but she can't ignore the
complaints of the people or her ties to the land. Court
intrigue and battle scenes are only a small part of this
novel as the author focuses her attention on the
protagonist tugged in opposite directions by opposing
forces demanding she choose between the moral high ground
or her cousin's desires. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted February 4, 2004
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