Tobias S. Buckell

I read both this book and its companion novella The Alchemist side by side (almost) because they follow two different paths that give a wider view of the world. The Executioness follows Tana as she leaves Lesser Khaim (the more or less 'poor folk' district) while The Alchemist follows Jeoz as he fights to save Khaim from the Bramble.

In his introduction Paolo mentions that part of the genesis for this combined world came from a writer's friend's lament that there were not more middle-aged women portrayed as heroes. Women who have had children and lived most of their life domestically. Tobias took that idea and ran with it.

Tobias is careful to emphasize the role that women have always played in battle and war. Women who help to keep the soldiers fed, who help to gather supplies and run the homestead while their men are away. Women who lose everything and are forgotten just as quietly.

The world is lush and evocative. There is a lot left unsaid, hinted at or offhandedly remarked upon, that point to something more. The fallen Empire of Jhandparan being overrun by the Brambles. The Southern Isles where the Paikan hail from.

I would love to know when the Brambles first arrived. Why they occur because of the magic. Why does it sprout? The Executioness doesn't delve into these issues except as a way to contrast the Paikan (holier than thou) attitude vs. everyone else. The Paikan think they are on a crusade to save the world, damn the consequences and feelings of others.

A telling moment is when Tana speaks with the 'leader' and they try to reach some sort of accommodation. The man doesn't seem to grasp why she would be so upset to lose her children when they are clearly going somewhere better. To him the loss of her children is trivial next to the larger picture.

Everything happens in cycles however and at the end of the novella Tana realizes a truth she didn't understand earlier. I sincerely hope there will be more set in this world. This feels like a thread from a much larger tapestry, one I am eager to see completed.… (meer)