Daughter, Hostage, Exile
War threatens everything Lena loves – her village, her family, her way of life. When the Emperor calls upon the untested strength of women, Lena – fisherwoman and hunter, her strength forged with net and bow – must learn the skills of sword and knife. Forced to choose between the traditions of the past and the needs of her land – and between her own convictions and the beliefs of her partner Maya, her decision sets her feet on an epic journey that will change her country’s history forever.
https://scarletferret.com/authors/marian-l-thorpe
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“Fans of Guy Gavriel Kay will love Thorpe’s work.” Anya Pavelle, author of the Moon Hunters.
“immersive, intelligent and resonant…I recommend highly.” Justin Lee Anderson, author of Carpet Diem and The Lost War
“a well-crafted historical fantasy with marvelous sensory world-building details, compelling characters and skillful plotting. A recommended read for fans of sweeping historical tales with complex storylines.” Whistler Independent Book Awards
Queer Indie Gold Medal 2023; A B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree; Eric Hoffer Finalist, 2021; BBNYA 2021 Semi-Finalist; Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Award, 2021; Discovered Diamond Award, 2020; Silver Medal, Historical Fantasy Box Set (2019), Coffee Pot Book Club Awards
The impetus for the story was the experience of my mother and two aunts in World War II.
Britain drafted women into the forces or other war work, and both my mother and my Aunt Catherine saw active service with the Royal Corps of Signals, serving in France with SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied European Forces) HQ. My Aunt Mary, who had married a Dane and was living in Denmark, became part of the Danish resistance. They had been young women in their twenties when war threatened and began; their lives were disrupted beyond imagining, and they were required to serve, a new experience for women in Britain. I took that scenario, that mix of fear and perceived duty and their determination to help defeat an enemy, and moved it to a world reminiscent of early-medieval Britain. But the inciting incident, the beginning of the story, is the same challenge: a general telling the women of his land that they must help defend their land against imminent invasion, or face almost-certain defeat. The men alone cannot win this war.
marianlthorpe.com 