In their long careers, Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem have worked in many genres. Alone or in collaboration, they have written crime, horror, science fiction, among others. Daughters, I believe, is their first venture into high fantasy. Like much of their work, however, it is really unclassifiable. It is a story, pure and simple; a story that grabs you by the collar and has its way with you until it is finished.
After an intriguing prologue, Chapter 1 begins with these sentences: “Evonna rose gasping from her bed. In the light from the half moon, the beast was at her window again.” You're immediately hooked. What kind if beast? Why does it come to her window? How can you not read on?
The Tems have created a world divided into three distinct cultures. Evonna lives in a castle in a city ruled by patriarchy. The beast, Thet, is from a dying culture that lives mostly underground. Thet has come to the city seeking help for his people. Gwynn, from a mountain tribe of women warriors, has also come to the city, fearing the child she is carrying is a boy, destined to death in her world.
Some may say the Tems do not give the reader enough information about these societies or the world around them. For me, the secrets of the Tems' world is part of Daughters appeal. This is a world of shadows and mystery, the atmosphere dreamlike. And there is more here than first meets the eye. Like other fine writers of speculative fiction, allusion and small details help fill out this world while the story continues, uninterrupted by pages of expository detail. There is even a glossary defining the various terms used throughout the book. My only complaint is that I didn't find it until I'd finished the story. It would be more helpful placed at the beginning.
As often with their work, the Tems focus on family and relationships.. Evonna has a brother, Alden, a worshipper of the old, dying gods, who would have chaos rule. Evonna and Gwynn are drawn together, as Evonna is also drawn to Thet. Their shifting relationships dominate the first half of the novel.
Then Gwynn gives birth to twins. Alden plaqa2 to take the boy for his own dark purposes. He finds himself, instead, with the girl. The second half of the book takes place sixteen years later. Gwynn's son Jaryss, welcomes in the chaos that Alden only dreamed of. A shadowy, silver plague brings degeneration and death. The second half of the book is a quest, as Alden, Evonna, Thet, And Gwynn and her daughter, Pericanthe, set out to defeat the plague.
Daughters touches on many themes: order versus chaos, racial conflict, gender issues and more. Most important though, is that Daughters is a great read.
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