I think I actually snarled at no one in particular when I had to set the book down to attend to an appointment.  I was so near the end…

I love that there’s a term now for a type of story that I’ve always enjoyed:  portal fantasy.  For those not in the know: the protagonist is put into a fantasy world and must navigate through unfamiliar territory (think Oz or Barsoom)…or, in this case, the protagonist has to navigate a fantasy world that is altogether familiar, because it’s her favorite series…

Maggie went to sleep in her apartment after a long day delivering groceries and woke up naked in a muddy ditch in a city that had lived in her head for years.  It was hard at first to accept the fact that she was actually in Kair Toren; but everything was exactly as described in the books.  There were just two books, actually. The author had up and disappeared without writing the third – this will be important later, take notes.  Maggie was such a fan that she had a positively encyclopedic knowledge of the story, even to single mentions of supporting characters.  All of which doesn’t exactly explain why she’s there; naked, filthy and desperate.

But it is the story, of course, that saves her; once she figures out she can use the knowledge that only she has.  Unlike Cassandra, Maggie is believed; which doesn’t mean people don’t want to kill her.  And that’s how she figures out that she can’t die. At first, she’s only interested in finding shoes, food, and safety.  The only thing she has to barter is knowledge of the future or secret things; things that powerful people don’t want spoken aloud.  And then there’s her overwhelming need to protect people against evil doers; especially children.  And while her knowledge of the world and its peoples is comprehensive; she discovers, to her discomfort, that there are things in this world that simply weren’t in the book.  It’s as if the story only described certain events, people or wildlife that served the story.  But all the people in the city, whether significant characters or not, have their lives; full of details that she doesn’t know.  People that she doesn’t know. Events she never heard of.  She’ll have to be more than just a Cassandra to keep up her appearance as a woman who sees the future.  There’s also the pesky problem of using too much of her information about the future and changing it.

As she barters each tiny bit of information, her fortunes improve.  She ends up connecting with a romantic character and talking him into helping her raid a slaver’s house.  Everything is connected to this single point.  She has an undeniable attraction to the swordsman, but is also smitten with a mysterious assassin; and fatefully responsible for two children that she rescues.  But she ends up with a fortress to call her own, retainers and a cottage industry; well, two actually – selling secrets and soap.

Everything coalesces into a single goal based on the story plot: save the entire kingdom from a tyrant who will burn it to the ground.  This story was fricking catnip.  I love the whole fish-out-of-water theme; a modern woman trying to survive a medieval fantasy world. The characters are all mysterious or gorgeous or insanely murderous or all three. 

There is one significant plot point that I so appreciated: she never has a relationship with the main bad guy.  Think about it…how many romantasys involve the girl falling in love with the bad guy only to find out he isn’t, or maybe she rescues him or some other tripe.  No, in this one, she has to figure out exactly what sort of person some of these characters are; beyond their part in the story.  Just because they did heroic things doesn’t mean they’re heroes.  I also was so appreciative that while there was romance (and not just sexual), there was no sex; maybe one kiss, I think.

So Maggie goes from one adventure to another; infuriating her self-appointed bodyguard(s); all with the goal of stopping a nasty civil war.  Despite the fact that she cannot die; the process is still quite painful and she’s not sure just how dead she can be and still resurrect.  How much of her head, for example, still needs to be attached to her neck? She also has to navigate local politics and stay on the good side of powerful people.  And figure out who keeps leaving her a whole fish in her office…

Oh, this was so much fun on so many levels.  Maggie is pragmatic and sensible.  She’s also more than a little of a risk-taker; of course, this is easier done when you can’t die.  She is more like a force of nature that overtakes anyone who tells her that she can’t do something.

The world-building is wonderful; sufficient for the story without overwhelming the prose.  The dialogue is sharp and most of the characters have real depth.  Even the supporting characters took up residence in my head this week.

What amazes me is that this first book does have an ending: the bad guy is stopped.  So what is there to continue in another book?  Well, the mystery of Maggie, herself – why is she there, how did she get there, can she ever get back?  And will she want to?  And one mystery that is never stated outright.  I really want to tell you but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a show-stopper and I don’t want to ruin that joy for the readers.  I’m positively frothing at the bit to see if I’m right.  ~~  Catherine Book

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