Green

By Jay Lake
Tor, $26.95, 368 pages

Sex, politics, religion and magic are the tools of control of the city of Copper Downs in Jay Lake’s memoir-style fantasy. A heroic fantasy with a dash of steampunk, Green follows the story of the titular character as she relates her tale from her first memory of a death, is sold into a life of slavery across the ocean, and her transition into a strong and powerful servant of a goddess. Readers will appreciate that the heroine does not follow conventional norms of fantasy for female protagonists. Green is made a slave, but is also educated, and though taken into captivity to become a courtesan, she is never raped, and in her sexuality is not defined by her gender. Written entirely from the perspective of Green, the novel is probably at its best when she relates the story of her upbringing from child to young woman. Its slow build of tension is akin to the work of Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan. The latter half of the novel, entertaining but less intriguing, follows the standard pattern of a hero who overthrows an evil god-king. Lake’s poetic metaphors and similes and full circle plotting are wonderfully pleasant to read, making this heroic tale one of the best fantasies of the year.

Reviewed by John Ottinger III