Diplomacy of Wolves (Holly Lisle)

It took me a little while to get into Diplomacy of Wolves - from the first page, we're plunged into a very complex world, full of political machinations, and I was so busy figuring all that out that I didn't feel that I was connecting to the characters. However, as the story moved along, I became much more intimately involved. Diplomacy ends on a complete cliffhanger, so I'm definitely going to be reading its sequel.

I felt that Diplomacy was a less mature work than Talyn, which is the first book I've read of Lisle's - this didn't prevent me enjoying it, but I think she's definitely grown as a writer since these books. Diplomacy revolves around Kait, a young diplomat with secrets, who goes on a search for the ancient Mirror of Souls. She is guided by the spirit of an ancestor, who may not be what she seems, and a young magician. As I mention above, it took me a little while to warm to Kait, but it did happen. I think my enjoyment of Diplomacy was affected by the fact that I was reading Temeraire at the same time. Temeraire was a book that reached into my chest and ripped part of my heart out. Diplomacy didn't affect me in nearly the same way - it was simply a very enjoyable read - and I think it suffered a little in my mental comparison. However, despite that, it was a great fantasy read, and I'm definitely going to be finishing the series - I just can't see myself weeping over their pages.