The Empire has structure and rules and everyone – nearly everyone – plays their expected part. The men fight, the women do everything else. It’s a world which makes sense to itself, and as the story unfolds, one cannot but admire the author’s confident and convincing world-building. But one huge change is about to crash on this world and it is utterly fascinating to watch seventeen-year-old Lena and her village adapt.

The story starts with the arrival of a man. He has been sent to train the women to fight, and so the culture of hundreds of years is turned on its head, not without dissent. Interestingly, I felt that it was their previous life lived mainly apart from men, their independence in managing themselves, that made this change possible for most of Lena’s village.

Lena’s development as a fighter and leader is the heart of this book, and it is also how we learn more of the country’s ways. I found myself enjoying the fighting scenes, which, I freely admit, I usually skip. Of more interest for me however were the developments in Lena’s personal relationships, especially with her partner who is vehemently opposed to the new edict.

The simple and strict society that Lena grew up in raises many questions for the reader, which the author is very good at answering – gradually, of course. It is this unfolding of a world which kept me reading, a constant piquing of curiosity. The plotting is perfect, there are no chapters that ‘sag’, and the writing style is lucid and flows easily. Everything combines to make one want to go on!

At the end of the book, I still felt intrigued: the leaders of the Empire have taken a huge risk. If women produce food, craft utensils and raise children, asking them to take on the defence of the realm is going to provoke interesting questions regarding the division of labour. Women might well demand a share in ruling and decision making at the highest level…

It is going to be fascinating to see what happens as this series continues!