Book One of Blood of the Southlands Trilogy
Although this book is the start of a new trilogy by Coe, it was preceded by a five part series, Winds of the Forelands. This new trilogy stands on its own but it is helpful if you have read the Forelands series. I know I had a bit of a struggle figuring out just what an Eandi, Mettai, Qirsi and Y'Qatt were. Also, the story of Grinsa and Cressane from the previous series is briefly touched upon and knowing about that might have helped in understanding their characters more fully.
In an Eandi village, a strange, reclusive, scary old woman packs up her baskets and suddenly departs on a trip. This woman, Lici, tells no one she is leaving. As the weeks pass, the villagers wonder if she is ever coming back. The rumor is that she has amassed a small fortune and the villagers are eager to search her tiny house for the treasure. One of the village elders, Besh, searches the house and finds a diary written by Lici's adoptive mother. In the diary he finds out the reason for Lici's strange ways and he figures out that Lici is on a mission of destruction.
Lici came to the village as a terrified child, refugee from a disaster that struck her home village. She was emotionally scarred by her experiences and, although she lived most of her life quietly, as she entered her seventies she put into motion a plan she had been working towards her whole life. Using her terrible magical powers, she has enchanted a lifetime's work of baskets. The baskets are cursed and anyone who has one in his home will shortly die. Taking her baskets, Lici has set forth to visit the villages of the people she hates, the Y'Qatt. As the villagers buy her baskets, which are beautiful and very well made, the curse is released and nearly everyone dies as Lici makes her way to the next unknowing village. Besh knows Lici has to be stopped before her actions sparks a war between the local peoples. He and his son-in-law set out on her trail.
Meanwhile Grinsi and his woman, Cressene have newly arrived in the area. Grinsi is a Weaver, a kind of wizard of great value to the local people. Grinsi and Cressene are captured by a nomadic tribe because Grinsi is a Weaver. They refuse to let him leave but he makes a bargain with them. He will track down whoever it is that is spreading what they think is a plague (but it is Lici's cursed baskets) and stop them and then the nomads will let him and Cressene go.
This was an OK book. The plot seemed pretty thin. It hardly seems to have enough substance to expand into a trilogy. I found the Grinsi subplot boring. In the novel's favor, though, I must say that it doesn't rely on the typical fantasy storyline. (You know, some implacable evil force using vile demonic creatures is trying to take over the world and a poor lad of humble origin, who is really a powerful wizard of royal blood although he is not yet aware of that, has to fight it singlehandedly, using his powers and nearly dying in the process. Oh, and dragons. Mustn't forget the dragons!) So that was refreshing. I should add that I am not really a person who reads a lot of fantasy novels and I am not a fan of them for the most part. Maybe someone who likes fantasy would like this book more than I did.
Review from Publishers Weekly.
New Word:
Osier: Any of various related species of willow, whose twigs are used in making baskets.
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