snugglekitty

This is an older fantasy novel by Patricia Briggs, author of the popular Moon Called series and soon to come out with a new book called Cry Wolf. It has recently come out in a new edition. Warning - if you get the old edition, the cover is lurid to the point of being silly (or silly to the point of being lurid). Don't be fooled - the book has much more substance than the cover would lead you to expect.

Once Shan was a beloved noble daughter in the capital city in the harbor. Then the invaders came. They killed her parents and destroyed everything she cared for. They tortured her mentor, the king's wizard, until he lost his powers. Now Shan, still an apprentice wizard, lives for petty revenges. She steals from the houses of the rich lords that hurt her master and killed her family, leaving ill luck in her wake. But a series of murders among those same lords will come far too close to home. Can she solve the mystery?

This book is a high fantasy mystery. But it includes deeper themes, like deception, demons, faith, revenge, disability, and forgiveness. It reminded me significantly of Earth Logic by Laurie Marks, another book I liked a lot. The characters were believable and interesting, and the plot made sense. I wish there were more in this series. Since there aren't, I will definitely spend more time reading Briggs' other older fantasies, such as Steal the Dragon and The Hob's Bargain. Four stars.

ETA: And apparently there aren't any actual dragons in the book Steal the Dragon. If I'd known that I'd have read it years ago!