This second read made me really appreciate the world building, and the way magic was developed, doing breathtaking things with space, time, and memory. There are plenty of reviews, and some of them skate too close to spoiler territory: there are, like in one of my other favorites, And All the Stars, twists that caught me by surprise-and made a second reading a different book. I am not going to recount the plot points. She’s practical, wistful, insightful, stubborn, independent, starved for love, and determined to do the right thing. Medair is a Herald who rode off to save the world, found the means, lay down to take a nap, and woke up to discover that the war she was trying to end had been lost half a millennium ago. This is one of my favorite story tropes, and Estara hit right on target.īoth the character and the world building grabbed me right from the start.

Höst ‘s work, as it invariably starts with a lone female protagonist flung into an interesting situation. If not, just read it for the beautifully crafted prose.'Ī year or two back, Estara told me that I really ought to try Andrea K. Whose side should she be on? What is she really running from?įrom the Aurealis Awards judges' report: 'You can read Silence of Medair for its strong, conflicted heroine, its playful subversion of fantasy tropes, or its deep, detailed analysis of the nature of racism. With the skirmishes of war beginning, and hunters in near pursuit, it is her conscience Medair cannot escape. Her war is already lost, but she carries weapons which could change the course of new battles. When friend and enemy have become the same thing, what use are the weapons Medair planned to use to protect her Empire? There is no magic, no artefact, no enchanted trinket which can undo the past.īut no matter how Medair wishes to hide from the consequences of her failure, there are those who will not allow her the luxury of denying the present. Medair an Rynstar returned too late to drive back the Ibisian invasion.

The complete epic fantasy 'Medair' duology, containing the Aurealis Awards finalist 'The Silence of Medair' and the heart-rending conclusion 'Voice of the Lost'.

Medair by Andrea K. Höst