Sometimes, an author’s skill at world-building is such that even the forests, flowers, rivers, and streams seem to breathe, to have a life of their own. P.C. Hodgell is one of those authors, and Seeker’s Mask, the third book in her series about the Kencyr Jame, is one of those books where each character, and every part of the world they travel in, shimmers with life and weaves a detailed and fantastic tapestry.

Jame has found her twin brother, given him their father’s sword and ring, and is now struggling to find a place for herself in the Women’s World, the fortress at Gothregor. For Jame, as always, desire for acceptance battles with her sense of honour and duty, and she finds herself at odds with the restrictive rules (and clothing) that the Women’s World demands. The mantra of silence, obedience, and ignorance sit ill with her, and as the last female Knorth Highborn, she occupies a place of power that makes few friends,  some uncomfortable, and others mortal enemies.

Jame has had an unusual upbringing, and her separation from the rest of the Kencyrath has left her more schooled in weaponry than obedience, and her efforts to blend into the background are hampered by her unique history and her tendency, exacerbated by the restrictive clothing women must wear, to tumble down stairs far too frequently. She is a mystery, an uncomfortable reminder of what a woman could be like without the restrictive upbringing forced on them by tradition and fear, and, of course, a piece in the power struggle for the future of the Kencyrath:

So, we have here a purebred Shanir Knorth who probably knows who her mother was, but won’t tell us. She also refuses to say where she’s been for the past nineteen-odd years. Given the taint, it could have been in Perimal Darkling itself.  And you once even said that she and the Highlord could be twins except, of course, that he’s at least ten years older than she is.  I ask you! What are we supposed to do with a mystery like that?

‘We crack it,’ said the Ardeth Matriarch tartly, ‘or we crack her.’

Luckily for Jame, the Matriachs are soon forced to loosen their hold as an ancient rivalry flares and assassins haunt the halls of Gothregor once again. And Jame is soon hunting in her turn, heading towards the Caineron’s keep to rescue a friend.  Of course, with Jame, nothing is that simple (nor does any building she visits escape unscathed) and she soon acquires a fighting force, a place in the Mid-Summer ceremonies of the Rathillien people, and, possibly,  an idea of where she can belong.

As Jame struggles to stay true to those she has sworn to protect and walk the fine line that honour dictates, the Highlord, her brother Tori, fights against his fears. He is afraid, afraid of becoming crippled from his broken hand, afraid of going mad as his father did, afraid of the power his sister is beginning to wield.  In the malleable land that is Rathillien, and the tense and fragile community that is the Kencyrath, Tori’s fears do more than give him sleepless nights, they could allow his enemies to triumph and the world the Kencryath swore to guard to fall to Perimal Darkness. His sister is quickly becoming a nemesis; how will her brother find the strength to act as a balance?

Seeker’s Mask is definitely part of a series (which began with God Stalk and Dark of the Moon–now available as The GodStalker Chronicles), and it is worth reading the first two before tackling this one.  Although it would certainly be possible to be entranced by the novel on its own, the amount of detail, the fascinating history, and the complex relationships present in the book make it a richly rewarding experience when read in its proper place. Both Seeker’s Mask and the fourth book in the series, To Ride a Rathorn, can be found in the Seeker’s Bane omnibus, released by Baen this summer. In all of the books, Jame is a unique heroine in fantasy, destined to be destructive, struggling to only tear apart what needs to be broken. Rathillien is a unique world, beautiful, deadly, and with a history and power of its own. And the Kencyrath are a fascinating people, lost, bereft, and fighting still for a destiny that could end all.

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