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Reviews and Comments "Micklem's majestic and powerful debut, the first volume of a fantasy trilogy, introduces a compelling heroine with a strong, original voice. A sweeping adventure saga as mystical as it is raw, the novel is also a biting commentary on violence and its effect on relationships defined by a caste system. Enriched but not defined by the influences of many cultures (Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, etc.) and authors as diverse as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula K. LeGuin, Mary Renault, Jean Auel, Margaret Atwood and, yes, even Tolkien, this hypnotic tale of passion and survival will resonate with sophisticated readers of both sexes." "Micklem instantly establishes a strong, confident, sensitive voice for her protagonist. As Firethorn navigates the fault lines of her world, the reader is simultaneously educated in the intricate ways of this fully imagined society. Micklem's prose is stately yet sprightly, rife with gorgeous descriptions of landscapes and palpable emotions. And her feminist and political subtexts are mature and resonant, never egregious." "Gritty, sinewy, exceptionally well researched, and highly impressive." "Micklem has brought to life a realistic, medieval world of love and war. Highly recommended." "This is a great piece of gritty, feminist fiction, distinguished by a heroine whose vulnerabilities and fresh voice as narrator make her easy to love." "Firethorn is the beginning of what the publisher calls 'an epic trilogy' set in a world of chivalry and gods, chronicling the adventures of a young woman who runs off to war to be with the man she loves. Ho hum? Emphatically not! "It's the sexiest fantasy book I've ever read." “Firethorn is the story of its narrator's struggle to negotiate her rigidly stratified world without relinquishing her identity or her dignity... a powerful meditation on the evils bred in a society so firmly defined by distinctions of class and gender — a society like most of those in human history, and indeed unfortunately still resonant with the one we live in today. But it could not have achieved such power without the foundation laid by Micklem's mastery of style: the voice of her narrator, the thousand minute details of her world, the richly conceived mythology of the clans, the discipline of her prose, which all together produce an entirely credible, fully engrossing otherworld... Firethorn proves that fantasy, done right, can address the most vital issues as effectively as any other form of literature. Even better, perhaps, for as Le Guin tells us, ‘when fantasy is the real thing, nothing, after all, is realer.’” "Engrossing, suspenseful and uncompromising, this is a novel that sets a great story into motion, leaving readers eager for the next chapter. Firethorn is often harsh reading, portraying as it does the so-called age of chivalry in a realistically patriarchal light. Its story is so complex and compelling, though, that it will seduce even reluctant readers." "Micklem... throws the reader overboard into a fully-formed ocean of symbols and culture, and it's sink or swim... If you dare to swim, you'll find that Micklem has made her ocean incredibly bouyant, and you'll find yourself maneuvering with an almost magical ease through all of the Kingswood. That this is Micklem's first novel is nothing short of miraculous. "Sarah Micklem’s first novel Firethorn might be categorised as “low fantasy” both because it is told from the viewpoint of a low-born woman (not a warrior or nobility) and because the fantastical elements are so restrained that they might pass as real life.... Sire Galan and Firethorn are in love, but Micklem does not gloss over the inequalities of their relationship or the harshness of their life. She is every bit as good at depicting the violent excitement and confusion of battle as she is at making us feel the conflict in Firethorn’s heart.... This is powerful stuff, with a level of physical and emotional realism that is too often missing in fantasy." "Sarah Micklem proves to be a gifted first-time novelist, filling her pages with strong writing. She has crafted a tale of genuine human emotions--passion, jealousy, longing and love--and yet her depiction of Firethorn's bleak world may be too vivid: one feels claustrophobic within the book’s oppressive atmosphere. Once they reach the final chapter, however, readers will be eager to plunge into the second volume of the trilogy, bound to the story of Galan and Firethorn." "In terms of realism, Firethorn is brutally so with respect to the physical and sexual abuse of women... However... the use of rape, free of its psychological or physiological consequences, as a plot device to draw sympathy to or to steel a female character seems reprehensible to me."
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