I know I've come across short stories by Phyllis Ann Karr before, but this was the first novel I'd read by her. An early entry into the sword-and-sorceress genre, it's a tale about two very different women: Thorn, a foul-mouthed, sex-loving, polytheistic warrior - and Frostflower, a virginal, vegetarian, monotheistic sorceress. With the topics of abortion and religion featuring significantly in the plot, I kept worrying that the story would veer into moralizing - but it gracefully steered clear, maintaining a respect for both women and their different points of view, while telling a fun and entertaining story.
I loved reading this book. The ideas were interesting and the characters were people I enjoyed having inside my head.
I only managed to get about halfway through this...it really wasn't what I expected, which is why the low score. It had a rather pessimistic note to the story, but was DEFINITELY well-written. I think it's one of the first swordswoman&sorceress novels that hit the market; if you like Card's style in the Alvin Maker series, you'll probably like this.
