48. The Serpent by Jane Gaskell

Once again, I can not remember where I learned about Jane Gaskell. She is an early British woman fantasy author who seems to have slipped into obscurity.  I wonder why, male-dominated nerd publishing industry.  It took me quite a while to find all the books in this series and then I had them sitting on my pre-on-deck shelf (where I hold books in series until they can be moved into the on-deck shelf) for quite a while before I got the desire/courage to take them on (there are 4 books in total).

This was a fascinating, mostly enjoyable and at times thrilling fantasy epic.  It is the diary of a young princess, Ciya (pronounced Kee-ya) who begins the story locked up in a tower until she is married off to a conquering general that she must assassinate.  This premise launches Cija into a rocambolesque bildungsroman across the pre-Atlantis lands of the western hemisphere.  It really goes all over the place, very adventurous.  It is also quite dark and political in a rich kaleidoscope feeling very much of its mid-60s time.  Near the end, I felt that it kind of went on too long.  I was still enjoying it but there is a lot of brutality told in a very matter of fact way that kind of wears you down.  It's also not super tightly plotted, the narrative is inconsistent in pacing and there is too much coincidence at times (that may or may not be some kind of destiny).  Despite all that, it really took me into another world, while making me think and have some feels.  I was always very much invested in the fates of Cija and the world around her.  I really want to read the second one, but currently debating if I should take a little break with something lighter between courses.

The sexual and gender politics are also really interesting.  On the one hand, it feels very progressive on gender.  There is much gender confusion and switching in Cija's journey.  One of her friends is a straight-up transsexual woman and she is loved for this in the book.  On the other hand, sexual coercion is portrayed ambivalently and even dismissed or accepted.  You would almost think it was written by a man if the heroine's inner personality wasn't so richly and complexly expressed.

There is some really cool fantasy stuff in here, like the warrior birds the Northmen (and Cija quite soon) ride, the insane decadent feast in the city climaxing in a roasted dinosaur on a platter, the route across the ocean to Atlantis (no spoilers), all the underground locations.  This book should be a second-tier staple of the genre.

Addendum:  found this promisingly long essay on Gaskell that I will read after I finish the Atlan series.