Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Ace (1985), Paperback, 416 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member Karlstar
Despite the terrible cover, this is a good book! Rifkind, the heroine must try to stay alive and avenge her tribe, using her sword and a limited amount of magic. This book has a mystical feel about it, even though it is not heavy on magic.
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Average at best.
Rifkind is a savage warrier priestess from a desert tribe. When her clan is slaughtered rather than seek revenge she flees into the "Wetlands" with her horned warhorse.
What follows is a very ordinary 'savage meets civilisation' story. Rifkind learns the peculiarities of eating with
The characters are flat, Rifkind almost gain a smidgin of depth through the rather peculiar process of internal mental soliloquies. The world is dull and uninterestingly typical, only the horns on the warhorse offer any break of unfamiliarity. This would be fine, if the magic system was interesting. But it isn't. It's imbued from moon gods, and there's a Bright and a Dark. And some old ones, but no-body does anything with them.
The prose is ok, flows well enough not to be too disconcerting, the plot just about holds together, although there are a few unexplained features - the old gods and Ejord being major points. There isn't even any redeeming social commentry, the women are all skirts and fashion and the men boars. It's readable but uninspiring. Which is a shame because I've read some of Lynn's short stories and they were excellent with interesting characters, and pathos.
This ebook version also contains a few formatting errors.
Rifkind is a savage warrier priestess from a desert tribe. When her clan is slaughtered rather than seek revenge she flees into the "Wetlands" with her horned warhorse.
What follows is a very ordinary 'savage meets civilisation' story. Rifkind learns the peculiarities of eating with
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a fork, and dancing. Meanwhile her martial skills and magical abilities frighten everyone she comes into contact with, except Ejord, a lesser noblemans' son who is for no explainable reason, immune to magic. The characters are flat, Rifkind almost gain a smidgin of depth through the rather peculiar process of internal mental soliloquies. The world is dull and uninterestingly typical, only the horns on the warhorse offer any break of unfamiliarity. This would be fine, if the magic system was interesting. But it isn't. It's imbued from moon gods, and there's a Bright and a Dark. And some old ones, but no-body does anything with them.
The prose is ok, flows well enough not to be too disconcerting, the plot just about holds together, although there are a few unexplained features - the old gods and Ejord being major points. There isn't even any redeeming social commentry, the women are all skirts and fashion and the men boars. It's readable but uninspiring. Which is a shame because I've read some of Lynn's short stories and they were excellent with interesting characters, and pathos.
This ebook version also contains a few formatting errors.
Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
This is the first book about Rifkind, a swordswoman and magician from an approximately Arab/nomad culture. It begins with her finding her whole clan has been wiped out, after which she eventually ends up leaving the desert clan and adventuring in the "Wetlands" where there is a more conventional
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European/medieval style culture. Show Less
Original publication date
1979
Physical description
416 p.; 6.85 inches
ISBN
044113873X / 9780441138739