Do you know what your problem is?
Ryalgar knows hers. People have been telling this overeducated 13th-century woman for years. So when an equally intellectual prince decides he loves her, it looks like everyone was wrong and her dreams have come true.
Except, this prince is already betrothed to another. He’s leading the army training to defend their tiny realm against an expected Mongol invasion and he is considering sacrificing Ryalgar’s home nichna of Vinx by abandoning it’s rich farmlands to their foes.
Another woman would flee to safety. Maybe she would seek another lover. But not Ryalgar. Living in a world where witchcraft has been allowed to flourish and problematic powers remain, she devises her own strategy to keep the invaders from destroying her home.
This is just the sort of thing that happens when a woman thinks too much.
I guess I wanted to impress him. With all my studies finally finished, my life had settled into farm chores, time with friends and family, and time with him. There wasn’t much to share. So ….
“The Velka invited me to join them.” I said it with a defiant glare. Of course, I expected him to respond with “you couldn’t possibly” or “that’s ridiculous.”
Instead, he said “That’s terrific.”
When I stared at him, probably with my mouth open, he added “It’s an honor. I’ve heard they don’t ask many. You’d be great at it, whatever it is they do, exactly. Because you’d be great at anything. And you do need something to do now that you’re gone through all the schooling in Ilari. That knowledge of yours ought to be used for something.”
It was the moment I knew he’d never marry me.
For all the false rumors and silly superstitions people believe about the Velka, the one thing everyone does know is the Velka are not allowed to marry. They cannot even live with a man. Theories vary about what they can and can’t do for sexual relief, but a permanent partnership with a male is out of the question.
“Are you thinking about it?” he asked.
“Yes. I am.” And, as of that moment, I was.
Review
S.R. Cronin writes some of the most thought-provoking and fascinating speculative fiction I’ve read. After thoroughly enjoying the 46 Ascending series, I was thrilled to see more books coming from Cronin’s writing lair. She’s the One Who Thinks Too Much takes place in a part of history I haven’t read much fiction about, so I was doubly excited to dive in, learn, and be entertained.
I wasn’t disappointed on any of these fronts. Now, if you’re looking for lots of action or explosions, you won’t get that here. What you will get is an intricate and interesting look at the planning that precedes war. So many details and pieces of the proverbial machine at work. This could have very easily fallen into the “too much detail” trap, but the realistic characters and relationships gave the story a balance of info and humanity. I loved the seven sisters and how they relate to one another. The romance leaves me wondering. Not in a bad way, more in a what’s-going-to-happen-there way. Love is tough enough when there isn’t politics involved, and there’s lots of politics involved.
The magic is subtle but incredible. It’s not flashy, but it gets the job done. The enclave of women living in the forest offered both a not-overwhelming sense of “girl power” and a right-amount of sisterhood. Despite being historical, the dialogue has a contemporary feel while still capturing the essence of history.
All in all, lots of good stuff in here. The series contains seven books, each focusing on a different sister’s contribution to an impending conflict, and I’m excited to read more.
Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.
She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is.
All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case. Find her online at https://sherriecronin.xyz/.
To check out other stops on this tour, visit the tour page here.
All the opinions expressed in this review are my own. Read the full disclosure here.