| I tend to cringe when confronted by a speculative novel where strong female warriors/fighters/ martial types are the lead. As a woman, you would think I'd be inclined to gravitate toward such stories. Who wouldn't want to support strong females in non-traditional roles, right? The problem is, most speculative fiction of the "strong female warrior" variety tends toward bad Xena-style storylines and an awkward mix of overt sexuality with weapons. Too often, the female lead is completely unbelievable and becomes more of a clique than anything else. Fortunately, Ron Miller is one those rare, gifted writers that actually knows how to craft a story with believable characters. Bradamant: The Iron Tempest tells the tale of a female paladin in the court of Emperor Charlemagne. She is honest and devoted to the service of her Emperor, but falls in love with a knight who serves Charlemagne's enemy. This internal struggle provides an interesting examination of medieval codes of chivalry and honor. Bradamant's relationships with her family, her Emperor, her peers, and her love creates a complicated web of intrigues. Miller goes beyond telling a fantasy tale set in a medieval setting to actually recreating the feel of medieval literature. Peppered with mythical beasts, magical weapons, and assorted supernatural beings, Miller nevertheless maintains a certain realism that makes Bradamant read like a true history of one of Charlemagne's greatest knights---even if she never existed. Each chapter opens with a brief summary statement that sets the ton for the chapter. For example, Chapter Three: In which Bradamant rescues her True Love-only, to her consternation and astonishment, to see him take flight or Chapter Ten: In which three Brave Knights punish an Evil King. The book also includes medieval style illustrations that help immerse the reader further into the world Miller has created. And for those readers that might have trouble keeping track of who is who and what is what, Miller includes a "cheat sheet" of sorts in the back of the book that includes everything from information on Bradamant's family to the names of trusted steeds of important characters to how many armies Bradamant destroyed. |
| Bradamant: The Iron Tempest Ron Miller Black Cat Press Softcover, 334 pages |
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| Other Books By Ron Miller Bronwyn |