Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn

Another one that has been around the house for years and that I hadn't read. I can't imagine why I hadn't. The Samaria trilogy are on my very short list of books to reread fairly often. It is a hard-cover and I don't like them much - they are heavy - and big. I suppose it could also have something to do with the reason I own the hard-cover copy of this book. I found it on a table at a garage sale for a quarter and picked it up and flipped it open to find that it was signed. I hadn't bought it before because I tend to resist the books that many excellent writers produce to line their pockets by cashing in on an extremely popular character or universe.

So - I finally picked it up and was captivated as always by Shinn's pure story-telling ability. This one is set in Samaria-time shortly after the end of the first book, Archangel. The book actually consists of two stories which overlap in time and space, but intersect only minimally. She picks up one of the more appealing side characters from Archangel, Obadiah, the angel who does most of the work of reconciling Rachel to her new role as Angelica, and one of the least appealing of the societal groups, the Jansai, nomads dedicated to greed and seething over the elimination of slavery under the new Archangel. She also tracks the career of one of the angel-seekers, as women who flock to the vicinity of the angel holds with the intention of conceiving a child by an angel are contemptuously called.

The story is exciting, the characters engaging and the line of probability stretched almost to the breaking point. That may seem like a silly statement in the context of fantasy/science fiction, but it seems appropriate here. It seems improbable to the point of absurdity that two girls who are part of a culture that does not permit women to be seen in public - or even in their own homes by men other than very close relatives - without full robes and veils are able to meet men from other groups and carry on long-standing affairs with them. On the other hand, having suspended disbelief to the extent of angels with wings who must mate with "mortal" women (or men) to produce offspring, I suppose it is unreasonable to expect probability in other areas. Although, I might argue that the feature that makes much fantasy appealing is the consistency and/or plausibility of the mundane aspects of life.

Good book, anyway. Upon googling, I found that Shinn has another series going. I will have to check that out - and I think I will be acquiring her books in Kindle format for the sake of convenience (that means not having to hunt for them on the shelves and in boxes).