Daniel M. Ford, The Warden. New York: Tor Books. 2023.
Recent trends in SFF publishing have not provided a surfeit of examples of one of my favourite subgenres, sword-and-sorcery. The thing about sword-and-sorcery, the thing that makes me enjoy it so, is that it doesn't tend to deal in grand world-changing threats, or kingdom-scale intrigue: it's the genre of professionals (ordinary or not) encountering problems, usually in the course of a job, and having to deal with those problems as they arise. There's something very soothing about competent people dealing with problems: it's nine-tenths of the appeal of the murder mystery genre.
Aelis de Lenti has money, connections, and talent. The daughter of a noble house and an excellent (if she does say so herself) student of the famous Magisters' Lyceum, she's qualified in three branches of magic and has the ambition, drive, and self-confidence to propel herself to greatness, despite the prejudices of some of the more old-fashioned of her teachers. She planned for a post in one of the great cities, with glittering company and people to impress: but the problem is that the organisation to which she swore her oaths hasn't assigned her to a city. No: she's in the arse-end of nowhere, in a tiny village on the edge of civilisation called Lone Pine, surrounded by people who view necromancy -- her primary field -- with suspicion.
The ruined tower that passes for her accommodation has holes in the roof, a goat keeps barging into her living quarters, and mending fences and corralling sheep wasn't exactly the kind of job she thought she'd signed up for. But when a group of travelling adventurers rolls into the village and people start acting strangely, she finally gets some scope to stretch her talents. And her legs: one of the villagers under her protection has stabbed his brother and taken off into the wilderness, and Aelis -- no tracker herself -- has to enlist the help of Tun, a solitary, reticent woodsman who only enters Lone Pine to trade the proceeds of his craft. Their unexpected discoveries lead to an even more unexpected friendship. There's some weird shit going on in the countryside, and Aelis has plenty of challenges on her hands.
Aelis drinks a lot, swears even more, and is nearly as talented as she thinks she is. A Warden is part magistrate, part mage, and in Lone Pines, part sheriff, and for all Aelis's undoubted flaws (she's the epitome of an arrogant new graduate, mid-twenties and absolutely sure that they're going to revolutionise the field), she's got plenty of virtues to compensate. Quite apart from her personal physical bravery, she got the work ethic, the sense of responsibility, the skill, and the ability to put aside her pride when it's getting too much in the way of her job, that make her likeable as a character (and believably capable in a leadership role) even if she's probably on the insufferable side as a person.
While this is a world with some prejudices, it's also one were queerness (and nontraditional relationships and families) is normal and unremarkable. Ford's narrative style is fast and zippy, with a great balance of pace and tension. His characters come alive off the page and there's interesting depth to his worldbuilding, even as it's clear he's playing with some very well-used elements. (Aelis's memories of the Lyceum are entertaining.) It's clear the writer's having fun here, making a modern sword-and-sorcery adventure. And there's going to be a sequel! I'm delighted, because I also had fun with this novel, and I'd enjoy reading a lot more in this vein.