This was a rather refreshing book, with a female mercenary who is really good at what she does, and a whole group of women learning that they can run businesses when their men are captured, and that end up decent soldiers as well. It also shows a bit how disconcerting this is to the whole of their society, which isn't used to women with agency. I found the relationships to be well balanced. Sun Wolf and Starhawk find out separately that they like each other in another capacity than professional, and they do so realistically. Fortunately no gushing. I found the relationship between Sun Wolf and the women who kidnap him to be realistic as well.

I can't quite figure out why this isn't a 5 star for me, despite all that. Somehow I can't find anything wrong with it, and I see a great deal of good, including things that are rare to get right in fantasy, but still this book didn't draw me into its world as much as I would like. ( )

Enjoyed this at the time, but it wasn't a 'keeper'. ( )

A little too long, but very good. ( )

I haven't read this in years and years, but it was formative for me, and so fun to revisit -- a ripping good story, even after all this time.

And now that I'm in my 40s myself, a hero forced to start over in midlife has extra interest for me. ( )

This was a rather refreshing book, with a female mercenary who is really good at what she does, and a whole group of women learning that they can run businesses when their men are captured, and that end up decent soldiers as well. It also shows a bit how disconcerting this is to the whole of their society, which isn't used to women with agency. I found the relationships to be well balanced. Sun Wolf and Starhawk find out separately that they like each other in another capacity than professional, and they do so realistically. Fortunately no gushing. I found the relationship between Sun Wolf and the women who kidnap him to be realistic as well.

I can't quite figure out why this isn't a 5 star for me, despite all that. Somehow I can't find anything wrong with it, and I see a great deal of good, including things that are rare to get right in fantasy, but still this book didn't draw me into its world as much as I would like. ( )