Blood Ties-Pamela Freeman

Blood Ties
Pamela Freeman
Orbit, Apr 2008, $12.99
ISBN: 9780316033466

Over a millennium ago the Northern invaders displaced the locals throughout the Eleven Domains. The conquerors became brutal warlords and the conquered Travellers; nomads with no place to call home or a haven from their abusive rulers. Men watch their women of all ages raped and can do nothing but eat their rage for that is the lot of the Travellers to keep on shuffling from one place to another unwelcome by any warlord.

In this world Travellers flee from one atrocity to another. However several have taken differing approaches. Bramble a young villager has tasted the taking of a life but feels no remorse as she flees from soldiers wanting to rape her. Apprentice Ash has been trained by street wizard Doronit as a safeguarder assassin who has killed, but feels regret with ghosts of his victims visiting him; he knows he is no better than the butcher Acton the warlord. However it is Saker the enchanter who considers using black magic to destroy his people’s enemies and return what he believes is rightfully his. Their actions and that of other Travellers and the warlords impact the ordinary people who just want to survive.

The first tale of the Castings trilogy is an insightful fantasy in which an event has repercussions that have further repercussions; nothing is isolated. In some ways it will remind readers of Palestine. When the prime Travellers Ash and Bramble act, readers see their actions and the consequences on others, but not just warlords as communities are impacted. This brings a deep sense of reality, but can detract from the prime theme of the warlords vs. the outcasts. Still few fantasy sagas make the villages seems so genuine. BLOOD TIES is a strong opening gamut to the Freeman fantasy realm.

Harriet Klausner