But back to the sexual revolution in modern fantasy for a moment... Sarah is estranged from her father, a devout believer in the Christian God and a misogynist who seems to believe that women should serve men and not get in their way. And she's dealing with the new love she feels for her girlfriend Katie, a schoolteacher who knows who she is and what she wants - and that is Sarah. Sarah unfortunately isn't so sure and struggles with feelings of shame brought on by her father's intolerance for anything other than the union of a man and a woman...
I think I get it now that I've had time to consider it a bit. Finding yourself and your loves is a quest all of us is on throughout most of our lives. And weaving the storyline of self-discovery into the novel as Sarah goes from self-doubt about her relationship with Katie to somewhere nearing acceptance balances out the supernatural story elements surrounding the sword. It's just interesting to see that these more modern relationships, unbounded by the "traditional" union of man and woman, are working their way into what I think of as mainstream fiction. Really it's probably overdue.
Honestly, I was surprised to discover that this was a debut novel. The 400-plus pages of Black Blade Blues went extremely quickly. As I learned more of how Pitts intertwined interpretations of Norse myths into a modern setting, it picked up speed and didn't let me go. I can't wait to see what's next for Sarah Beauhall, Katie, and the rest of their friends as they deal with a world of dragons, dwarves, and magic. If you like urban fantasy and are looking for a female answer to Harry Dresden, be sure to check it out at your favorite bookstore!
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