Flameweaver

Tamai

by Margaret Ball

Magic and gunpowder don't mix - or do they?

The Russians are pushing south into the Hindu Kush, expanding their empire at the expense of the forgotten tribes that surround the British Raj. Little did they expect such resistance as they found in the fabled city of Gandhara. Little did they expect the fables to be real.

Just as little did the wisewomen of Gandhara expect their system of protection to begin to fail them after milennia of effective defense. But the Russians' new weapons don't seem to care much about magic, and the Gandharans realize they must fight fire with fire. Tamai, who has never been able to control her magical powers sufficiently to join the wisewomen, is expendable; she is sent on a mission south into the Raj to acquire the fabulous weapons known as Martini-Henry rifles. Little did the wisewomen expect the fables of the Raj to be real…

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

379 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Margaret Ball lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and near two grown children. She has a B.A. in mathematics and a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Texas. After graduation, she taught briefly at UCLA, then spent several years honing her science fiction and fantasy writing skills by designing computer software and making inflated promises about its capabilities. She has written a number of science fiction/fantasy novels as well as two historical novels, and is currently working on a science fiction series to be released on Kindle and in paperback in the fall of 2017. She would love to be influenced by Connie Willis and the other authors listed but fears that is mainly wishful thinking.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction meets fantasy plus matriarchal society meets battered woman plus a lot of I-Don't-Fit-It-But-am-really-misunderstood-and-will-save-the-world type of mythology. Personally I enjoyed it. My favorite parts include the shifting view points, at one point we hear the story through a giant eagle and see what his take on the story is. Also clever was the humor in the cultural differences between the characters. I can only assume the author played down the cultural clashes a great deal, but she did make use of it in a very entertaining way. Parts of the story dragged on for me, especially when we reached an exciting part of one character, only to have the story shift to someone I considered a bit more dry, but you know, they all came together for an interesting plot. Some of the imagery was very solid and will stay in my mind forever, the turquoise tiled walls and vertical buildings, the bright embroidery inside black cloaks, Tamai weaving together multiple colored fire, and of course the demons compose of dead mule parts.

Is there a sequel?

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book probably in the late '90s as a library book, and eventually hunted it and its sequel down in used bookstores. I don't think I've read it since then - so probably close to 15 years. It's as good as I remember. Despite the frequently changing point of view, the story remains cohesive, the pacing is good, the characters are well-developed. It's a pity that it doesn't seem to have been reprinted or released as an e-book in the intervening time, it's at least as good - if not better - than many of the other fantasy and historical fantasy I've read in the last few years.

[Ruby Hollyberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A feminist fantasy novel that draws heavily on the adventure stories of a hundred years ago, such as The Man Who Would Be King and similar. Magic-wielding women run a matriarchal society high in the mountains between British India and Mysterious Tibet. Tamai the protagonist cannot control her magic, and is practically an exile among her people but she is the only one who can protect them in the end, when the British and their guns come calling, and meanwhile she can turn on feminist consciousness in the brain of at least one emotionally abused British memsahib.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Reminds me a little of some of Robin McKinley's work.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't liek how hte author married together a society with magic and into early twentieth century history...

[Retta · Rating 5 out of 5]

such fun. Female power!