Marilia, the Bastard

I read a lot of fantasy. For me, this one ranks near the top of the pile. Marilia is a wonderful heroine - strong, determined, but not so perfect as to be unbelievable. I approve of strong female leads, and I like the fact that Marilia doesn't get where she does by virtue of being born with special powers. She works hard for what she achieves.

The book deals with some fairly serious themes, one being female resistance to a male-dominated society. But it doesn't come across as shrill or angry. It's written in such a way as to make the reader think, and that it does.

I felt like the story moved along at a good pace, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy from BookSirens. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.