This past summer I had another happy accident with a book. I was in my local library branch when a book's cover caught my eye. It had a picture of a very interesting looking woman and the title was just as intriguing: The Language of Power.
I checked the spine to see if I recognized the name of the author, but Rosemary Kirstein didn't ring any bells. Along the bottom of the cover it said she had also written a book called The Lost Steersman Since nothing in the title of the book I had in my hand indicated that the two were related I took it home with me to read.
It was only when I cracked the book open that I discovered that I had picked up book number four, the most resent, in an ongoing series. Since I've never let a little thing like continuity stand in my way of enjoyment, I decided to go ahead and read the book anyway.
It says a lot for the skills of Rosemary Kirstein that even though there were references to happenings in the previous books, and some things that would only make sense to someone familiar with them, I was fascinated with the story and her central character: Rowan the steerswoman.
Thus began my hunt to try and track down the three previous volumes: The Steerswoman, The Outskrter's Secret, (these two are now also available in an omnibus edition called The Steerswoman's Road) and the previously mentioned The Lost Steersman. Naturally I tried the library first, figuring since they had volume four they would also have the early volumes as well, but I was wrong. Not one branch in the whole Kingston Public Library system had any of the other volumes.
Even more mysteriously neither did any of the local bookstores carry them. Oh sure I could have ordered them, but I couldn't afford what they were charging. I managed to pick up one in a used bookstore, but I was starting to get desperate. I thought these books were great and wanted to write about them, but it made no sense to do so if I hadn't read them all.
Then the good folks at Random House Canada came to my rescue. I wrote them telling them of my dilemma and within a week they had sent me review copies of the books I needed to be able to write this piece. I'm giving them a much deserved plug right here, for sending me the books based only on the links I provided them to blogcritics.org and a few thank you letters that people had written to me for reviews I had done. I'd feel a lot kindlier towards publishers if more of them were like Random House Canada.
Article comments
1 - Anna
Great review! I heard about these books from some folks over at sf-books.com earlier this year. I've only read these first two, but I look forward to the rest. Kirstein has a knack for storytelling with compelling characters and sufficiently obscured mysteries. Both of these books end with almost as many new questions raised as those that have been answered.