Wildcat

I also really liked the cultural aspect of the book. There are two main societies featured in this world and both are developed enough to understand the kind of society it is. I really liked the Caderyn people with their tribal body painting  and their connections to their gods through their druids. They are definitely shown to be a simple people who enjoy their lives without the need of being greedy or extravagant. Then we see the Gaians who have much more sophisticated life styles. Their culture is much more grounded in politics, ranking, and grander. I found it very interesting  to see the main character interact with both peoples and societies.

I do, however, feel that the main character’s development was a little lacking and questionable. Overall, I really liked Rhia, especially at the beginning. Harker sets her up to be a tough, but loving woman who is strong-minded and strong spirited. However, when things go south and she is forced to interact with the Gaian society, I feel like she integrates into that society a little too completely. I expected her to be the kind of character that would still keep the core of her being even with conforming to the new culture. I expected her to keep her loud mouth and strong opinions, but instead she seems to completely become a typical mild mannered Gaian woman. I would have liked to see what kind of change she could have made to the people around her as they were introduced to her ideas, mannerisms, and cultural beliefs.

I also found that there were some events that were set up in the first third of the book that never came to anything which was highly disappointing. These events happen with a lot of detail to them and made me question throughout the book why they happened and what they meant. However, they never ended up meaning anything or leading anywhere. It makes me wonder why they were put into the book at all. Unfortunately, those events were also some of the most interesting to me which left me feeling let down when I realized they weren’t going to be revisited or worked into the greater story.

Just as a note for those possibly interested in this novel, the story feels more historical than it does like a fantasy since the fantasy elements are very low key and mainly focused on one aspect of the story. There isn’t a lot of fancy magic or amazing mythical creatures. The subtle way magic is incorporated fits this particular novel very well; however, if you are looking for a fantasy with lots of flair, magic, or fantasy elements, this book might not be what you are looking for.

Overall, I really liked this novel, and think it offers a lot to enjoy for many readers. There are many characters to get to know and a large conflict to become invested in. I would definitely recommend this book if you like war oriented conflicts and interesting society dynamics.