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hsavinienThe Tokaido road : a novel of feudal Japan
Robson, Lucia St. Clair.
Lady Asano swears revenge on the man she holds responsible for her father's death. To manage it, she escapes a brothel, disguises herself as a succession of different people, and travels the Tokaido Road through Genroku-era Japan, beating the crap out of a number of hired bully-boys in the process. Asano is a prickly, often unpleasant person, but, as the followers she picks up along the way could attest, compelling in her determination. Most of the characters are cheerfully and unconsciously bisexual, which is a (historically appropriate!) treat. This is a retelling of the tale of the 47 Ronin, but you don't have to know the story to enjoy it.
A Natural History of Dragons : a Memoir by Lady Trent
Brennan, Marie.
This is an excellent (fictional) memoir in which Lady Isabella Trent tells of her youthful fascination with science, particularly dragon biology, and her early studies from girlhood into her marriage. Isabella is a kickass narrator in an England-analog, who defies the expectations of her society to follow her love of learning (despite misadventures). The scientific discussions of dragons are awesome and Isabella herself, writing from her old age, is frank in her appraisal of her past self, follies, and triumphs. I very much hope there are sequels planned, because I really want to see how Isabella revolutionizes the study of dragons. Also she has sex with her husband and enjoys it and dares her editor to try to strike that fact from record. She is an amazing Grande Dame as well as a spiffy researcher.
Robson, Lucia St. Clair.
Lady Asano swears revenge on the man she holds responsible for her father's death. To manage it, she escapes a brothel, disguises herself as a succession of different people, and travels the Tokaido Road through Genroku-era Japan, beating the crap out of a number of hired bully-boys in the process. Asano is a prickly, often unpleasant person, but, as the followers she picks up along the way could attest, compelling in her determination. Most of the characters are cheerfully and unconsciously bisexual, which is a (historically appropriate!) treat. This is a retelling of the tale of the 47 Ronin, but you don't have to know the story to enjoy it.
A Natural History of Dragons : a Memoir by Lady Trent
Brennan, Marie.
This is an excellent (fictional) memoir in which Lady Isabella Trent tells of her youthful fascination with science, particularly dragon biology, and her early studies from girlhood into her marriage. Isabella is a kickass narrator in an England-analog, who defies the expectations of her society to follow her love of learning (despite misadventures). The scientific discussions of dragons are awesome and Isabella herself, writing from her old age, is frank in her appraisal of her past self, follies, and triumphs. I very much hope there are sequels planned, because I really want to see how Isabella revolutionizes the study of dragons. Also she has sex with her husband and enjoys it and dares her editor to try to strike that fact from record. She is an amazing Grande Dame as well as a spiffy researcher.
