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Tuyo #1
Tuyo
Raised a warrior in the harsh winter country, Ryo inGara has always been willing to die for his family and his tribe. When war erupts against the summer country, the prospect of death in battle seems imminent. But when his warleader leaves Ryo as a sacrifice -- a tuyo -- to die at the hands of their enemies, he faces a fate he never imagined.
Ryo's captor, a lord of the summer country, may be an enemy . . . but far worse enemies are moving, with the current war nothing but the opening moves in a hidden game Ryo barely glimpses, a game in which all his people may be merely pawns. Suddenly Ryo finds his convictions overturned and his loyalties uncertain. Should he support the man who holds him prisoner, the only man who may be able to defeat their greater enemy? And even if he does, can he persuade his people to do the same?
Ryo's captor, a lord of the summer country, may be an enemy . . . but far worse enemies are moving, with the current war nothing but the opening moves in a hidden game Ryo barely glimpses, a game in which all his people may be merely pawns. Suddenly Ryo finds his convictions overturned and his loyalties uncertain. Should he support the man who holds him prisoner, the only man who may be able to defeat their greater enemy? And even if he does, can he persuade his people to do the same?
660 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2020
608 people are currently reading
2414 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Neumeier
56 books576 followersRachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.
She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.
She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.
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December 31, 2020The reason I bought this book is that I read a review of it from somebody who was extremely disappointed that it was about an epic friendship that never became sexual, so of course my first reaction was SLAM THIS INTO MY EYEBALLS.
I am pleased to report that, while not perfect, this book totally lived up to my hopes and dreams: there is an EPIC friendship that flourishes despite EXTREME enmity and culture clash and BRAINWASHING. The entire storyline is super melodramatic and therefore super satisfying and validating to me, personally.
I am pleased to report that, while not perfect, this book totally lived up to my hopes and dreams: there is an EPIC friendship that flourishes despite EXTREME enmity and culture clash and BRAINWASHING. The entire storyline is super melodramatic and therefore super satisfying and validating to me, personally.
July 29, 2023
This book literally ticked every box I can think of in an epic fantasy. Strong character arcs, detailed setting and world building, culture, enemies to friends, family bonds, political motivations, military strategy, and even one super snarky stallion.
Ryo is left as a sacrifice and ends up a captive, guest, translator, of the warlord for which he was left. Ryo experiences a massive amount of culture shock when he is thrown into life with the Lau. So much of the narrative is Ryo comparing the Lau to his Ugaro people, and it’s just an unbelievable character arc as he learns to judge men by their actions, not their birth. I loved the grand theme of overcoming cultural differences to fight larger enemies.
Aras, the Lau Warlord, is a great character too. He, in turn, isn’t familiar with many Ugaro customs, and it’s just a very character driven read as the two men, then two nations, learn about their common enemy and forge a working bond. The friendship bonds are even better!
The setting and world are closely detailed as well. From the frozen mountains and forests of the tribes to the summer lands of the Lau, I thought the author did a phenomenal job tying each group’s culture and legends into the climates that so define them. To quickly touch on the magic: think psychological warfare on steroids, with some light elemental skills as well.
One of my favorite aspects was how she went deep into cultural customs on both sides. The over politeness and certain rituals of the Ugaro tribes struck me as extremely well thought out, and the Lau had their own norms. Some of my favorite scenes were the great meetings towards the end, but part of that was how much I just loved Ryo’s family. Especially his father. I let out a few “HA”‘s courtesy of the family dialogue
Family and honor among friends played a huge role too. Without going into too much more detail, I will just say again in general that the relationships in the book are so intricately started and built upon, until the end result was something really special.
In short: I feel like I’m rambling and not doing the book justice at all. If you like strong families, culture, overcoming cultural biases, enemies to friends, setting and relationships, and magic throughout…. You need this book. I definitely plan on checking out the author’s works too
Ryo is left as a sacrifice and ends up a captive, guest, translator, of the warlord for which he was left. Ryo experiences a massive amount of culture shock when he is thrown into life with the Lau. So much of the narrative is Ryo comparing the Lau to his Ugaro people, and it’s just an unbelievable character arc as he learns to judge men by their actions, not their birth. I loved the grand theme of overcoming cultural differences to fight larger enemies.
Aras, the Lau Warlord, is a great character too. He, in turn, isn’t familiar with many Ugaro customs, and it’s just a very character driven read as the two men, then two nations, learn about their common enemy and forge a working bond. The friendship bonds are even better!
The setting and world are closely detailed as well. From the frozen mountains and forests of the tribes to the summer lands of the Lau, I thought the author did a phenomenal job tying each group’s culture and legends into the climates that so define them. To quickly touch on the magic: think psychological warfare on steroids, with some light elemental skills as well.
One of my favorite aspects was how she went deep into cultural customs on both sides. The over politeness and certain rituals of the Ugaro tribes struck me as extremely well thought out, and the Lau had their own norms. Some of my favorite scenes were the great meetings towards the end, but part of that was how much I just loved Ryo’s family. Especially his father. I let out a few “HA”‘s courtesy of the family dialogue
Family and honor among friends played a huge role too. Without going into too much more detail, I will just say again in general that the relationships in the book are so intricately started and built upon, until the end result was something really special.
In short: I feel like I’m rambling and not doing the book justice at all. If you like strong families, culture, overcoming cultural biases, enemies to friends, setting and relationships, and magic throughout…. You need this book. I definitely plan on checking out the author’s works too
August 18, 2024
“You should judge me as you would judge any man, by my actions and not by your fear.”
A young man is left by his tribe as a sacrifice to appease the enemies, a tuyo, to be killed in whatever manner the enemy wishes. This is how we meet our protagonist—he kneels bound, contemplating what gruesome death he will have to suffer with dignity.
This fantastic setup alone is worth giving Tuyo a try, but the book has much more to it.
You are right, suspecting that death doesn’t come (otherwise, we wouldn’t have a book, would we?). Instead, Ryo inGara is taken captive, and as his captor considers what to do with him, we have the chance to understand the world better. Essentially, Tuyo unfolds in the borderlands between the winter country (think of the Arctic) and the summer country (think of something uncomfortably close to the equator). Not only do geographies differ, but everything else, including demographics, phenotypic features, cultures, social structures and roles, and political setup, is like night and day—or, should I say, winter and summer. So the first layer of fun is to immerse with Ryo into a world entirely alien to him and see firsthand how not every preconceived notion he has about his antagonists is true and how he is forced to reconsider things he took for granted.
But Tuyo does not shine by world-building alone. Ryo is a fantastic main character with enough depth and integrity but also—dare I say it—innocence (it doesn’t happen often in fantasy these days; we get plenty of brainless naivety, but innocence is rare) to offer a convincing first-person narrative. Watching the world through his eyes is a thrilling experience, and so is interacting with others. Among those, Aras Eren Samaura, the lord to whom he was offered as a tuyo, from page to page, becomes a formidable protagonist on his own. Not what he seems. More than we suspect. Less than we fear. Reading how these two interact with each other, how they learn to respect and trust someone who should be considered an enemy for all intents and purposes, was what I found the most precious about Tuyo.
Also, there is an evil sorcerer to be vanquished, and vanquishing an evil sorcerer is always fun.
Reading Tuyo has been a singular pleasure that I can liken to classics such as Sabriel, Inda, or The Thief. A rare breed of prime quality YA that, for all of its sheer brilliance, somehow escaped the Goodreads hype train. Unjustly if you ask me.
Also in the series:
2. Nikoles
3. Tarashana
A young man is left by his tribe as a sacrifice to appease the enemies, a tuyo, to be killed in whatever manner the enemy wishes. This is how we meet our protagonist—he kneels bound, contemplating what gruesome death he will have to suffer with dignity.
This fantastic setup alone is worth giving Tuyo a try, but the book has much more to it.
You are right, suspecting that death doesn’t come (otherwise, we wouldn’t have a book, would we?). Instead, Ryo inGara is taken captive, and as his captor considers what to do with him, we have the chance to understand the world better. Essentially, Tuyo unfolds in the borderlands between the winter country (think of the Arctic) and the summer country (think of something uncomfortably close to the equator). Not only do geographies differ, but everything else, including demographics, phenotypic features, cultures, social structures and roles, and political setup, is like night and day—or, should I say, winter and summer. So the first layer of fun is to immerse with Ryo into a world entirely alien to him and see firsthand how not every preconceived notion he has about his antagonists is true and how he is forced to reconsider things he took for granted.
But Tuyo does not shine by world-building alone. Ryo is a fantastic main character with enough depth and integrity but also—dare I say it—innocence (it doesn’t happen often in fantasy these days; we get plenty of brainless naivety, but innocence is rare) to offer a convincing first-person narrative. Watching the world through his eyes is a thrilling experience, and so is interacting with others. Among those, Aras Eren Samaura, the lord to whom he was offered as a tuyo, from page to page, becomes a formidable protagonist on his own. Not what he seems. More than we suspect. Less than we fear. Reading how these two interact with each other, how they learn to respect and trust someone who should be considered an enemy for all intents and purposes, was what I found the most precious about Tuyo.
Also, there is an evil sorcerer to be vanquished, and vanquishing an evil sorcerer is always fun.
Reading Tuyo has been a singular pleasure that I can liken to classics such as Sabriel, Inda, or The Thief. A rare breed of prime quality YA that, for all of its sheer brilliance, somehow escaped the Goodreads hype train. Unjustly if you ask me.
Also in the series:
2. Nikoles
3. Tarashana
July 21, 2023
Re-read 2023. I need to bring myself up to date on certain crucial events before reading the new installment, Tasmakat.
I loved this book just as much this time as I did the first!
First review from 2/2022:
What an unexpected and pleasant surprise this book turned out to be! The writing style was immensely appealing. Smart, sparing and just all-around delightful. The prose reminded me of that of The Tally Master, which I've read twice. And like that book, this story accentuates the characters rather than action. As a matter of fact, there isn't much action at all. But my gosh, the story just mesmerized me.
There were so many fascinating relationships and cultural conflicts to explore! And the extreme climate disparity between the two main cultures was nicely done. It was like North vs. South on steroids. Aside from the climate, the predominant themes dealt with honor, loyalty, honesty, courage, friendship and family. I should mention that if you're expecting any romance and/or sexual situations, you won't find them here.
Excellent, excellent book by a brand new-to-me author. I intend to jump from this first book to number three, which picks up where this left off; number two is apparently a prequel. I love finding a book that hits my reading sweet spot so well!!
I loved this book just as much this time as I did the first!
First review from 2/2022:
What an unexpected and pleasant surprise this book turned out to be! The writing style was immensely appealing. Smart, sparing and just all-around delightful. The prose reminded me of that of The Tally Master, which I've read twice. And like that book, this story accentuates the characters rather than action. As a matter of fact, there isn't much action at all. But my gosh, the story just mesmerized me.
There were so many fascinating relationships and cultural conflicts to explore! And the extreme climate disparity between the two main cultures was nicely done. It was like North vs. South on steroids. Aside from the climate, the predominant themes dealt with honor, loyalty, honesty, courage, friendship and family. I should mention that if you're expecting any romance and/or sexual situations, you won't find them here.
Excellent, excellent book by a brand new-to-me author. I intend to jump from this first book to number three, which picks up where this left off; number two is apparently a prequel. I love finding a book that hits my reading sweet spot so well!!
February 4, 2022
A very typical Neumeier novel: extremely enjoyable, comforting, "old-school" fantasy. It's marketed as an adult fantasy novel, but -- except for the length -- it feels more like older juvenile-fiction novels from the 70s and 80s, the oddball obscure books I searched out as kid by browsing row by row on the library shelves and took home in stacks and devoured.
Neumeier's forte is an interesting worldbuilding premise that is entirely secondary to the characters, to the point that the details are often sketchy and the whole edifice is a bit shaky if you stop to think about it. Again, this is an older style of fantasy novel, a throwback to a simpler age, before "worldbuilding" and "socio-historical accuracy" were the watchwords of the genre. I quite enjoy it, for that, but it also sometimes runs into difficulties.
So, here, we've got a premise that is basically a world where climatic bands and environmental determinism are literally true and exist in literal bands of clearly delimited space, to the point that people from the "Summer Lands" are physiognomically incapable of surviving in the "Winter Lands" just across the river for any extended period of time, while people from the "Winter Lands" are at risk of succumbing to heatstroke within a few days journey of the border; meanwhile, even weirder and more storied peoples live in the far far North and distant South. It's all extremely Herodotean: the Ugaro people of the Winter Lands, to whom Ryo, our protagonist, belong, are more or less Scythians (with a good admixture of Inuit culture), the Lau of the Summer Lands ought to be more or less the Persian Empire (and in some respects (names, courier service, standing army combined with feudalism) they are, although in most respects Neumeier falls into generic Euro-fantasy descriptions. The rumored peoples on the "edges" could come word for word from the Ethiopian digressions in Herodotus and the end of Tacitus' Germania respectively. Still, while writing a story about radical cultural difference that is partly a reflex of climate and physical difference, Neumeier mostly manages to depict a world where -- despite cultural prejudice -- shared humanity is not ever in question.
I apologize for this long digression on the worldbuilding when I just said that the worldbuilding wasn't the point-- it's not just that "my learnings let me show you them" but that one of the reasons I picked up this book was the reviews promising a "Roman-inspired" culture. Which is absolutely not the case. The Lau aren't Roman in any significant way, apart from a few tactical references. Neumeier has actually written a book with very good fantasy Roman antagonists, though: The Floating Islands !
So it's a nice set-up. But many of the details don't hold up even just to the extent that you need them for the story. Example: there are several forms of magic in this world, but the primary plot-relevant one is "Sorcery" which involves the ability (really, a sort of sixth sense that the sorcerer cannot turn off) to "hear" the thoughts of people around you and, in the case of more powerful sorcerers, to manipulate them. We're also told that among the Lau people, about 1 person in 20 is a "weak sorcerer" who, even if they cannot perceive thoughts in detail, does perceive general emotions. But this "physiognomical fact" of the world appears to have no effect on any aspect of the culture: one might expect there to be pretty strong cultural norms about concealing one's emotions (given that this is functionally impossible to do from 5% of the population, would it ever be acceptable?), lying (surely it's much harder to lie to a weak sorcerer than to an ordinary human) or/and certain mental techniques that help mask one's feelings and thoughts -- these exist, but are treated as skills in which people only train if they know they will be around a powerful sorcerer.
Ok, but like I said, the point of a Rachel Neumeier book isn't the worldbuilding; it's the characters against the backdrop of the world. In this one, the point is the epic friendship between our protagonist Ryo, left as a truce-sacrifice according to the custom of his people, and the enemy commander Lord Aras, who decides to keep him alive rather than kill him, in the hopes that they can work together to root out the Sorcerous plot that has stirred up a war between their peoples. At first, Ryo's rigid sense of honor and duty bind him to Lord Aras, but gradually he begins to form bonds with some of his soldiers, while his oath-bound obedience to Aras turns into genuine loyalty, respect, and friendship. This culminates -- naturally -- in a long sequence where he and Aras must flee across the Winter Lands in a desperate bid to unite their peoples in preparation for a final showdown, and where the tables of power and dependence are turned.
It's all very The Eagle of the Ninth , and I enjoyed very much. And yet, I found this plotline frustrating in some ways, as well. Plainly put: there should have been an erotic component to the relationship. Neumeier goes to some lengths to cut off this possibility with various asides, even as we hit all the tropes of such a story: sharing a tent? Yes. Huddling together for warmth in a snow cave with only one blanket? Yup. One endures a brutal beating while the other is forced to watch? Absolutely. "You can kill me, but please wait until after his magically-induced illness is healed because I'm the only one here who knows how to cure him. Afterwards, I swear I will willingly go to my death and not fight at all."? Yes.
Of course there's no reason that intense homosocial platonic friendship and loyalty relationships can't exist; I really enjoy stories about such intense friendships without any romantic or erotic component (as I genuinely enjoyed this one) and I wish there were more of them. BUT. I am sick and tired of (cis-)men being the only people who get to have these platonic bromances. There are very nearly no women in the first 3/4 of this book. And, indeed, the story of two people overcoming radically different cultural norms to be fast friends would be far stronger if they were also overcoming ingrained assumptions about gender: there's no reason why Aras couldn't have been a woman, and this be another radical difference between the Ugaro and the Lau. Except that I suspect the author couldn't imagine intense platonic loyalty and friendship of the "I would die for her" variety between a man and a woman that never tipped into romance, and that no characters particularly assumed would do so.
Yet it was so important to her to make sure we understood that there was going to be nothing erotic or romantic happening between these two men. Neumeier does in fact nod to homosexual relationship being unexceptionable between men in both Aras' and Ryo's cultures-- it's just that theirs is not (of course) one of them. These patterns of narrative -- which relationships are assumed to be inherently sexual and which ones aren't ever allowed to be -- are so tired and so overrepresented. It's very dispiriting when authors of fantasy novels can't imagine something different.
Neumeier's forte is an interesting worldbuilding premise that is entirely secondary to the characters, to the point that the details are often sketchy and the whole edifice is a bit shaky if you stop to think about it. Again, this is an older style of fantasy novel, a throwback to a simpler age, before "worldbuilding" and "socio-historical accuracy" were the watchwords of the genre. I quite enjoy it, for that, but it also sometimes runs into difficulties.
So, here, we've got a premise that is basically a world where climatic bands and environmental determinism are literally true and exist in literal bands of clearly delimited space, to the point that people from the "Summer Lands" are physiognomically incapable of surviving in the "Winter Lands" just across the river for any extended period of time, while people from the "Winter Lands" are at risk of succumbing to heatstroke within a few days journey of the border; meanwhile, even weirder and more storied peoples live in the far far North and distant South. It's all extremely Herodotean: the Ugaro people of the Winter Lands, to whom Ryo, our protagonist, belong, are more or less Scythians (with a good admixture of Inuit culture), the Lau of the Summer Lands ought to be more or less the Persian Empire (and in some respects (names, courier service, standing army combined with feudalism) they are, although in most respects Neumeier falls into generic Euro-fantasy descriptions. The rumored peoples on the "edges" could come word for word from the Ethiopian digressions in Herodotus and the end of Tacitus' Germania respectively. Still, while writing a story about radical cultural difference that is partly a reflex of climate and physical difference, Neumeier mostly manages to depict a world where -- despite cultural prejudice -- shared humanity is not ever in question.
I apologize for this long digression on the worldbuilding when I just said that the worldbuilding wasn't the point-- it's not just that "my learnings let me show you them" but that one of the reasons I picked up this book was the reviews promising a "Roman-inspired" culture. Which is absolutely not the case. The Lau aren't Roman in any significant way, apart from a few tactical references. Neumeier has actually written a book with very good fantasy Roman antagonists, though: The Floating Islands !
So it's a nice set-up. But many of the details don't hold up even just to the extent that you need them for the story. Example: there are several forms of magic in this world, but the primary plot-relevant one is "Sorcery" which involves the ability (really, a sort of sixth sense that the sorcerer cannot turn off) to "hear" the thoughts of people around you and, in the case of more powerful sorcerers, to manipulate them. We're also told that among the Lau people, about 1 person in 20 is a "weak sorcerer" who, even if they cannot perceive thoughts in detail, does perceive general emotions. But this "physiognomical fact" of the world appears to have no effect on any aspect of the culture: one might expect there to be pretty strong cultural norms about concealing one's emotions (given that this is functionally impossible to do from 5% of the population, would it ever be acceptable?), lying (surely it's much harder to lie to a weak sorcerer than to an ordinary human) or/and certain mental techniques that help mask one's feelings and thoughts -- these exist, but are treated as skills in which people only train if they know they will be around a powerful sorcerer.
Ok, but like I said, the point of a Rachel Neumeier book isn't the worldbuilding; it's the characters against the backdrop of the world. In this one, the point is the epic friendship between our protagonist Ryo, left as a truce-sacrifice according to the custom of his people, and the enemy commander Lord Aras, who decides to keep him alive rather than kill him, in the hopes that they can work together to root out the Sorcerous plot that has stirred up a war between their peoples. At first, Ryo's rigid sense of honor and duty bind him to Lord Aras, but gradually he begins to form bonds with some of his soldiers, while his oath-bound obedience to Aras turns into genuine loyalty, respect, and friendship. This culminates -- naturally -- in a long sequence where he and Aras must flee across the Winter Lands in a desperate bid to unite their peoples in preparation for a final showdown, and where the tables of power and dependence are turned.
It's all very The Eagle of the Ninth , and I enjoyed very much. And yet, I found this plotline frustrating in some ways, as well. Plainly put: there should have been an erotic component to the relationship. Neumeier goes to some lengths to cut off this possibility with various asides, even as we hit all the tropes of such a story: sharing a tent? Yes. Huddling together for warmth in a snow cave with only one blanket? Yup. One endures a brutal beating while the other is forced to watch? Absolutely. "You can kill me, but please wait until after his magically-induced illness is healed because I'm the only one here who knows how to cure him. Afterwards, I swear I will willingly go to my death and not fight at all."? Yes.
Of course there's no reason that intense homosocial platonic friendship and loyalty relationships can't exist; I really enjoy stories about such intense friendships without any romantic or erotic component (as I genuinely enjoyed this one) and I wish there were more of them. BUT. I am sick and tired of (cis-)men being the only people who get to have these platonic bromances. There are very nearly no women in the first 3/4 of this book. And, indeed, the story of two people overcoming radically different cultural norms to be fast friends would be far stronger if they were also overcoming ingrained assumptions about gender: there's no reason why Aras couldn't have been a woman, and this be another radical difference between the Ugaro and the Lau. Except that I suspect the author couldn't imagine intense platonic loyalty and friendship of the "I would die for her" variety between a man and a woman that never tipped into romance, and that no characters particularly assumed would do so.
Yet it was so important to her to make sure we understood that there was going to be nothing erotic or romantic happening between these two men. Neumeier does in fact nod to homosexual relationship being unexceptionable between men in both Aras' and Ryo's cultures-- it's just that theirs is not (of course) one of them. These patterns of narrative -- which relationships are assumed to be inherently sexual and which ones aren't ever allowed to be -- are so tired and so overrepresented. It's very dispiriting when authors of fantasy novels can't imagine something different.
August 16, 2023
I found this story very moving. Neumeier has taken a lone wolf/cub fantasy narrative and created a surprising moving story of friendship, family, and honor. I found myself tearing up several times. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series. The prose is straight forward and really keeps the action moving forward.
April 14, 2024
First of all, avoid the audio at all costs. I am a fairly tolerant listener, in that while I have some narrators I dislike, I can still enjoy the book despite my preference. This was almost unreadable. A voice perfect for explaining to me How Stuff Works, but not things with emotional significance. After I switched to ebook, I absolutely demolished this book. Just straight up inhaled it.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
-Two very different cultures. A bit monolithic feeling at times, but this is a story of honor and the different forms honor can take. However, I liked what we saw of each and how truly different they both felt without having one be the obvious bad guy.
-High stakes with gentle people. Thousands of people die, but the people we follow try always to make the best decisions they can, help where they're able, and remember that pragmatism doesn't have to mean callousness. Their gentleness of spirit helps soften some of the horror in this book.
Things I didn't love (other than the narrator):
-A misunderstanding of harm. I just...don't think this author understands violence lol. I can't think of anything that could be counted as a whip where anyone could get hundreds in a go and still have skin. Also the number of people who got hit in the face so hard they stumbled or fell would mean that just about every man in this world gets a concussion or two a week, and that would have real consequences on the society. Also also, the understanding of how the brain reacts to physical pain, totally overshadowed here by reason and honor. It might make it sound cool, but it just ain't logical. Similarly, cold, heat and so on. I liked that she included an elemental factor to the difficulties, but for things to work this way would mean that these two civilizations were actually different species, with completely separate physiology.
-Kink undertones. The first 15% of this book reads like at any second it's going to turn into 50 Shades of Grey. Those, I'm glad to say, resolved in a different way, but it was still a yucky start for me as I do not wish to read 50 Shades of Grey in really any setting.
-Some plot holes. A lot of the reasoning here didn't add up to me except for plot need.
-Anti-climactic. The end was more a gurgle than a cry.
It was still very good. I had fun with the ebook and may even read the next in the series at some point, so 3.5 rounded up.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
-Two very different cultures. A bit monolithic feeling at times, but this is a story of honor and the different forms honor can take. However, I liked what we saw of each and how truly different they both felt without having one be the obvious bad guy.
-High stakes with gentle people. Thousands of people die, but the people we follow try always to make the best decisions they can, help where they're able, and remember that pragmatism doesn't have to mean callousness. Their gentleness of spirit helps soften some of the horror in this book.
Things I didn't love (other than the narrator):
-A misunderstanding of harm. I just...don't think this author understands violence lol. I can't think of anything that could be counted as a whip where anyone could get hundreds in a go and still have skin. Also the number of people who got hit in the face so hard they stumbled or fell would mean that just about every man in this world gets a concussion or two a week, and that would have real consequences on the society. Also also, the understanding of how the brain reacts to physical pain, totally overshadowed here by reason and honor. It might make it sound cool, but it just ain't logical. Similarly, cold, heat and so on. I liked that she included an elemental factor to the difficulties, but for things to work this way would mean that these two civilizations were actually different species, with completely separate physiology.
-Kink undertones. The first 15% of this book reads like at any second it's going to turn into 50 Shades of Grey. Those, I'm glad to say, resolved in a different way, but it was still a yucky start for me as I do not wish to read 50 Shades of Grey in really any setting.
-Some plot holes. A lot of the reasoning here didn't add up to me except for plot need.
-Anti-climactic. The end was more a gurgle than a cry.
It was still very good. I had fun with the ebook and may even read the next in the series at some point, so 3.5 rounded up.
July 20, 2023
3.75 stars, rounded up
This was a solid fantasy story. It needed some trimming in places (it's a bit too long and there's some repetition that could have been left out) and some padding out in others (I'm still not certain exactly how the physics of this world works or that it even makes sense, or what gods exist in this world). And of course, maps are always useful with fantasy stories such as this, especially when we're given no clear idea of what the land looks like, except that a river apparently marks the boundary between the summer lands and the winter lands, and somewhere way south of the summer lands is another realm still that we get just a hint of what can be found there.
But where it excels is in the characters and the examination of cultural differences and how two completely different peoples can learn to appreciate the differences in each other. No one's really perfect - well, maybe Aras is a little too perfect at times, but it makes sense why once you learn more - there are assumptions on each side of the river being made. On top of that, a sorcerer is lurking in the shadows stirring up trouble and war. I like how different the two realms are, and how much the environment of those realms factor into so many of the summer and winter peoples' outlooks and perspectives, as well as their ways of life.
The book starts with our MC, Ryo, being left behind by his clan as an offer of tuyo, a human sacrifice, to their enemies. If accepted, the enemy is basically agreeing to no longer make war with his clan, and he will be put to death. Or that's what is expected to happen. But Aras, an important leader of the summer lands, takes a different path. Together, they must learn how to trust each other and depend on the other to stop a war and uncover the true enemy to both their lands.
I really enjoyed this, though it did start getting a bit too long in places, but I'm eager to see where it goes from here.
This was a solid fantasy story. It needed some trimming in places (it's a bit too long and there's some repetition that could have been left out) and some padding out in others (I'm still not certain exactly how the physics of this world works or that it even makes sense, or what gods exist in this world). And of course, maps are always useful with fantasy stories such as this, especially when we're given no clear idea of what the land looks like, except that a river apparently marks the boundary between the summer lands and the winter lands, and somewhere way south of the summer lands is another realm still that we get just a hint of what can be found there.
But where it excels is in the characters and the examination of cultural differences and how two completely different peoples can learn to appreciate the differences in each other. No one's really perfect - well, maybe Aras is a little too perfect at times, but it makes sense why once you learn more - there are assumptions on each side of the river being made. On top of that, a sorcerer is lurking in the shadows stirring up trouble and war. I like how different the two realms are, and how much the environment of those realms factor into so many of the summer and winter peoples' outlooks and perspectives, as well as their ways of life.
The book starts with our MC, Ryo, being left behind by his clan as an offer of tuyo, a human sacrifice, to their enemies. If accepted, the enemy is basically agreeing to no longer make war with his clan, and he will be put to death. Or that's what is expected to happen. But Aras, an important leader of the summer lands, takes a different path. Together, they must learn how to trust each other and depend on the other to stop a war and uncover the true enemy to both their lands.
I really enjoyed this, though it did start getting a bit too long in places, but I'm eager to see where it goes from here.
December 29, 2022
Me picking this book up: Okay. Cover's kinda cringey, but the description seems interesting.
Me after reading it: *foaming at the mouth* AMGHFMHGFJGJHGKFG I NEED THE REST OF THE SERIES
Listen. Listen. This book has what I most adore... that thing which I have always unhelpfully called "loyalty dynamics."
Ryo is an Ugaro, a warrior from the winter lands, given as a ritual sacrifice to a general from the summer lands to buy his clan's safe retreat from battle. He is meant to die, only he doesn't. The general, Lord Aras, instead wants to use Ryo in a different way: as translator, and teacher of the customs and political landscape of the Ugaro.
Then everything goes wrong, roles reverse, and they both find themselves facing a shared enemy at great disadvantage. There's danger, magic, adventure, pain, etc. etc. That's not important. What's important is the LOYALTY DYNAMICS between Ryo and Lord Aras. They develop a trust and friendship, despite their peoples' long enmity, that is tested and twisted but still holds strong. It was great. It was amazing. I loved it.
What adds to this is the intricate work that went into the customs and norms of both peoples. The Lau, from the summer lands, have their own culture and rules of behavior that Ryo has to learn. But the Ugaro have a much stricter, ritualistic, society which prizes honor above almost everything. Ryo loves his family and has an unshakable tie to them, as well as to the values of his homeland. I loved seeing the politics that went into negotiating these rules, as well as the way Ryo worked to explain and interpret them for Lord Aras.
The magic was also interesting, and there were many secondary and tertiary characters that stood out. All of it was great. Nothing was nearly as great as the dynamic between Ryo and Aras and, as I said before, I cannot WAIT to go on to the rest of the series.
Me after reading it: *foaming at the mouth* AMGHFMHGFJGJHGKFG I NEED THE REST OF THE SERIES
Listen. Listen. This book has what I most adore... that thing which I have always unhelpfully called "loyalty dynamics."
Ryo is an Ugaro, a warrior from the winter lands, given as a ritual sacrifice to a general from the summer lands to buy his clan's safe retreat from battle. He is meant to die, only he doesn't. The general, Lord Aras, instead wants to use Ryo in a different way: as translator, and teacher of the customs and political landscape of the Ugaro.
Then everything goes wrong, roles reverse, and they both find themselves facing a shared enemy at great disadvantage. There's danger, magic, adventure, pain, etc. etc. That's not important. What's important is the LOYALTY DYNAMICS between Ryo and Lord Aras. They develop a trust and friendship, despite their peoples' long enmity, that is tested and twisted but still holds strong. It was great. It was amazing. I loved it.
What adds to this is the intricate work that went into the customs and norms of both peoples. The Lau, from the summer lands, have their own culture and rules of behavior that Ryo has to learn. But the Ugaro have a much stricter, ritualistic, society which prizes honor above almost everything. Ryo loves his family and has an unshakable tie to them, as well as to the values of his homeland. I loved seeing the politics that went into negotiating these rules, as well as the way Ryo worked to explain and interpret them for Lord Aras.
The magic was also interesting, and there were many secondary and tertiary characters that stood out. All of it was great. Nothing was nearly as great as the dynamic between Ryo and Aras and, as I said before, I cannot WAIT to go on to the rest of the series.
June 24, 2020
If Rachel Neumeier chose to self-publish this lovely novel because no publisher wanted it, shame on them. That would be a sad commentary on the state of the publishing industry and its demand for works that push certain popular buttons: Romance!! even better, a love TRIANGLE!!, homo-erotic tension!, dark and bloody!! Present tense! Short chapters! multiple points of view. ETC ETC ETC.
I'm happy to report that with the possible exception of bloody and a wee bit of darkness, this novel contains none of those popular but oh-so-boring elements. Instead, it's a quiet, character-based, and - yes - old-fashioned, work, if by that you mean like that written in an earlier time before YA tropes became unavoidable and everyone is trying to out shock everyone else. Neumeier writes some of the best, in my opinion, fantasy around today. I've enjoyed everything she's written, and loved some of it. This is one I loved. Ok, as another reviewer here has mentioned, you have to take the world-building on its own merits; at least, you are expected to take as a given a world where winter and summer are quite literally on either side of a river-border, with two different cultures developing to adapt to those extreme climates. Hey, it's a fantasy. The two cultures are kind of old-fashioned, too: very masculine, although women at least in one culture are depicted as strong and powerful in their own right. I liked that it all felt very organic and that there are things that have been worked out at the edges that we don't necessarily see (for example there's a most intriguing appearance of a jackal-headed woman near the end that is presented as, oh yes, there's the jackal-headed woman that no one is surprised to see).
But the focus of this novel is on character, and there it shines, and things do not work themselves out easily or necessarily in ways you might expect. But Ryo inGara is SUCH a great character. He is the narrator, and his voice is distinctive (I really liked the way that Aras, the leader of the opposing peoples, has such a different way of speaking, although equally formal). At the opening of the novel he has been left as a sacrifice - a Tuyo - to save the lives of his tribe, of which his older brother is the war leader. I don't want to say anything about how things work out because spoilers, but the emphasis is on decent, honourable people behaving, um, decently and honourably, but not without cost. It's about the uses and abuses of power; it's about loyalty and its limits; it's about friendship and the overcoming of differences. It's great. You should read it.
I'm happy to report that with the possible exception of bloody and a wee bit of darkness, this novel contains none of those popular but oh-so-boring elements. Instead, it's a quiet, character-based, and - yes - old-fashioned, work, if by that you mean like that written in an earlier time before YA tropes became unavoidable and everyone is trying to out shock everyone else. Neumeier writes some of the best, in my opinion, fantasy around today. I've enjoyed everything she's written, and loved some of it. This is one I loved. Ok, as another reviewer here has mentioned, you have to take the world-building on its own merits; at least, you are expected to take as a given a world where winter and summer are quite literally on either side of a river-border, with two different cultures developing to adapt to those extreme climates. Hey, it's a fantasy. The two cultures are kind of old-fashioned, too: very masculine, although women at least in one culture are depicted as strong and powerful in their own right. I liked that it all felt very organic and that there are things that have been worked out at the edges that we don't necessarily see (for example there's a most intriguing appearance of a jackal-headed woman near the end that is presented as, oh yes, there's the jackal-headed woman that no one is surprised to see).
But the focus of this novel is on character, and there it shines, and things do not work themselves out easily or necessarily in ways you might expect. But Ryo inGara is SUCH a great character. He is the narrator, and his voice is distinctive (I really liked the way that Aras, the leader of the opposing peoples, has such a different way of speaking, although equally formal). At the opening of the novel he has been left as a sacrifice - a Tuyo - to save the lives of his tribe, of which his older brother is the war leader. I don't want to say anything about how things work out because spoilers, but the emphasis is on decent, honourable people behaving, um, decently and honourably, but not without cost. It's about the uses and abuses of power; it's about loyalty and its limits; it's about friendship and the overcoming of differences. It's great. You should read it.
May 30, 2022
DNFed at 21%. Firstly, the story is ‘overcoming cultural differences’ lite if anything. The differences are at least 50% physically driven not culturally driven; the language barrier is conveniently non-existent; both heroes save each other’s lives near the start of the story so goodwill is flowing; both cultures share a deep abhorrence of the same thing - sorcerors, etc.
In fact, military tactics aside, the only major cultural difference is the position of women — which runs the gamut from pseudo-powerful (women are only allowed women’s roles, but those roles have some power) to appalling (women are chattel and if rich put to childbearing in a dowered marriage, if poor, made to ‘serve’ groups of soldiers, yes it turned my stomach.) Our young hero mainly thinks about the physical differences between the women - sturdy vs thin - and how that affects his attraction to them. Because, yeah, when women are living in near-slavery, the important thing is are they cute?
Many reviewers have raved about the friendship between the heroes and what a relief that it’s not sexual. One is 19, the other 50. If anything this is not a friendship but rather a mentorship. A kindly uncle-type relationship. Between an older adult and a young adult whose cultural differences are not that huge at all.
Lastly, the whole physically different people being unable to live in each other’s countries seemed unbelievable given our young hero’s only light discomfort upon doing it, plus physical differences being tied to (or standing in for) cultural differences seemed vaguely racist.
In fact, military tactics aside, the only major cultural difference is the position of women — which runs the gamut from pseudo-powerful (women are only allowed women’s roles, but those roles have some power) to appalling (women are chattel and if rich put to childbearing in a dowered marriage, if poor, made to ‘serve’ groups of soldiers, yes it turned my stomach.) Our young hero mainly thinks about the physical differences between the women - sturdy vs thin - and how that affects his attraction to them. Because, yeah, when women are living in near-slavery, the important thing is are they cute?
Many reviewers have raved about the friendship between the heroes and what a relief that it’s not sexual. One is 19, the other 50. If anything this is not a friendship but rather a mentorship. A kindly uncle-type relationship. Between an older adult and a young adult whose cultural differences are not that huge at all.
Lastly, the whole physically different people being unable to live in each other’s countries seemed unbelievable given our young hero’s only light discomfort upon doing it, plus physical differences being tied to (or standing in for) cultural differences seemed vaguely racist.
December 30, 2020
Reread for an upcoming episode of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Holy moly, just as good - if not better than the first time I read it. My favorite book of 2020.
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Wow. I loved this book so much that I read it during every spare moment. The book description tells just enough without spoiling it.
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Wow. I loved this book so much that I read it during every spare moment. The book description tells just enough without spoiling it.
February 2, 2025
Made it 31% in before giving up. There’s nothing really bad about it, but there’s nothing that interesting about it either. And it’s reached a point that continuing is a chore and I was almost dreading lunch because then I have to continue reading.
So, the characters are all right. It’s got what should be a decent plot. But everything’s just a little too perfect and simple and easy. There’s no tension to hold me here. While there are the occasional moments, they're quickly resolved and then it's back to a cultural study with all the time in the world. Also, we're spending a lot of time in Ryo's head. The more interesting bits are where he's, you know, doing something, or at least talking to someone. But those bits are buffered by significant time in Ryo's head while they march along from one place to the next or while he sits in a tent.
Edited to correct some typos.
So, the characters are all right. It’s got what should be a decent plot. But everything’s just a little too perfect and simple and easy. There’s no tension to hold me here. While there are the occasional moments, they're quickly resolved and then it's back to a cultural study with all the time in the world. Also, we're spending a lot of time in Ryo's head. The more interesting bits are where he's, you know, doing something, or at least talking to someone. But those bits are buffered by significant time in Ryo's head while they march along from one place to the next or while he sits in a tent.
Edited to correct some typos.
May 30, 2020
Ryo captured my heart from the moment we meet him kneeling in the snow tied to a stake, and I was unable to put the book down after that. I'm a huge Rachel Neumeier fan, so I was excited about the book and predisposed to like it, but I was surprised by the intensity of my feelings about it. The relationship between Ryo and just got me where it hurts, I guess. If you're a fan of heroes with integrity, if you like exploring what honour is and the conflict of characters determined to do the right thing but not sure what that is, this is your book.
Rachel Neumeier shines when it comes to both world-building and relationships, and Tuyo is possibly her best example of both. The winter lands and the summer lands are both fascinating, in their landscape and their culture, in the hints of the different ways magic works (the fengol was so cool!). Two military societies, one tribal, one sort-of Roman (there's probably a word for a Roman type of organization but I don't know it), each with their version of honour, their values, their way of treating women, and entirely believable suspicion and prejudice between them. I loved that we learn about both through the fish-out-of-water experiences of the main characters, each being competent and respected in their own country and hopelessly inept in the other.
I can't really tell you anything about the relationships without spoiling a number of important plot points. Let's just say loyalty, trust, friendship, taken to painful, brilliant heights. (The bromance to end all bromances, unless you hate that word, in which case forget I mentioned it!)
Have I mentioned how much I love Ryo? He's a big puppy, and he's so strong but he has so much to deal with, and he's got this sort of innocence that gets broken and then he rebuilds it, and he just tries. so. hard. I also loved his family. Aaaaaand I can't say anything else about them. But they're awesome.
I don't know what else I can tell you without spoilers: I really want to convince you to read this, but I refuse to ruin even one of the awesome reveals (even though I know most reviewers will anyway). I wouldn't say plot twists so much as information doled out at the exact moment of most impact, and I love it when books do that.
Read this novel if you like character-based action stories, if you love it when conversations are more intense than sword fights, if you like war stories because of the opportunities for heroism, if you have a fondness for winter landscapes (there's a great scene with a snow cave, which I appreciated because I slept in my first snow cave last winter!), if you like families and friendship, if you enjoy lovely, assured writing.
I loved the world and all the characters, and I'm so happy to know she intends to write more about them. Might just go reread Tuyo in the meantime!
Rachel Neumeier shines when it comes to both world-building and relationships, and Tuyo is possibly her best example of both. The winter lands and the summer lands are both fascinating, in their landscape and their culture, in the hints of the different ways magic works (the fengol was so cool!). Two military societies, one tribal, one sort-of Roman (there's probably a word for a Roman type of organization but I don't know it), each with their version of honour, their values, their way of treating women, and entirely believable suspicion and prejudice between them. I loved that we learn about both through the fish-out-of-water experiences of the main characters, each being competent and respected in their own country and hopelessly inept in the other.
I can't really tell you anything about the relationships without spoiling a number of important plot points. Let's just say loyalty, trust, friendship, taken to painful, brilliant heights. (The bromance to end all bromances, unless you hate that word, in which case forget I mentioned it!)
Have I mentioned how much I love Ryo? He's a big puppy, and he's so strong but he has so much to deal with, and he's got this sort of innocence that gets broken and then he rebuilds it, and he just tries. so. hard. I also loved his family. Aaaaaand I can't say anything else about them. But they're awesome.
I don't know what else I can tell you without spoilers: I really want to convince you to read this, but I refuse to ruin even one of the awesome reveals (even though I know most reviewers will anyway). I wouldn't say plot twists so much as information doled out at the exact moment of most impact, and I love it when books do that.
Read this novel if you like character-based action stories, if you love it when conversations are more intense than sword fights, if you like war stories because of the opportunities for heroism, if you have a fondness for winter landscapes (there's a great scene with a snow cave, which I appreciated because I slept in my first snow cave last winter!), if you like families and friendship, if you enjoy lovely, assured writing.
I loved the world and all the characters, and I'm so happy to know she intends to write more about them. Might just go reread Tuyo in the meantime!
April 5, 2024
Entertaining.
This is not my genre and I missed some romance. It should have been shorter. Some parts were very repetitive, like the false memories bothering Ryo. Further, I disliked the slow, stilted, masculine posing. Always the same wording. "Are you his slave or his dog?" "I brought shame to my father and my family". "I insulted you, you may hit me, if you wish." "You must keep your thoughts to yourself because I am the warlord but because you are Ryo's savior I will spare your life". The number of times killing someone was casually uttered, is ridiculous.
The narrator could have done better. He sounded like he was listing countless items, all in the same inflection.
This is not my genre and I missed some romance. It should have been shorter. Some parts were very repetitive, like the false memories bothering Ryo. Further, I disliked the slow, stilted, masculine posing. Always the same wording. "Are you his slave or his dog?" "I brought shame to my father and my family". "I insulted you, you may hit me, if you wish." "You must keep your thoughts to yourself because I am the warlord but because you are Ryo's savior I will spare your life". The number of times killing someone was casually uttered, is ridiculous.
The narrator could have done better. He sounded like he was listing countless items, all in the same inflection.
July 17, 2022
I went into this knowing that it's an enemies to friends story, but I severely underestimated just quite how epic, for the lack of a better word, that enemies to friends part would be. Fantasy as I love it best - distinctly character-driven with worldbuilding that shapes the story instead of overshadowing it, a magic system that creates compelling tension for the plot, and just deeply satisfying in its execution.
December 4, 2024
I enjoyed this fantasy, especially the characters' friendships and the peek into two different cultures - neither of which were presented as "superior". The world was also very interesting, and the story was certainly exciting. I didn't realize it until after I finished, but there was also no romance of any kind, really. I don't mind romance, but it was nice to have a story about two friends that doesn't either become a romance or is interrupted by a third wheel romance.
March 25, 2025
Initial review:
Wow. I loved this book so much that I read it during every spare moment. The book description tells just enough without spoiling it.
Also Scott and I discussed this in 2020 on A Good Story is Hard to Find with Will Duquette who selected it. Good choice!
Wow. I loved this book so much that I read it during every spare moment. The book description tells just enough without spoiling it.
Also Scott and I discussed this in 2020 on A Good Story is Hard to Find with Will Duquette who selected it. Good choice!
July 29, 2024
I was getting skeptical for about the first third of this book. The writing seemed juvenile. Fortunately, as the story progressed the writing style progressed with it into a cleverly woven tale. Honor among the northern/winter tribes. Sorcery in the summer lands. War between the two provoked by greed and magic. Tuyo: "Yours" in Spanish. A human sacrifice to appease, but in this tale a twist on how the sacrifice is received and used. Interesting concept.
Three stars, because it took me awhile to understand the writing style. I'll see how book two goes, though I understand it is a prequel to book one taking place about 14 years before "Tuyo #1."
Three stars, because it took me awhile to understand the writing style. I'll see how book two goes, though I understand it is a prequel to book one taking place about 14 years before "Tuyo #1."
September 1, 2022
this is easily one of my favorite books this year. this is a world that's built as a part of plot - gently and carefully, where people have honor and duty and respect and the good stuff like friendship that makes fantasy a comfort to turn to.
the two main protagonists start as enemies and the person in the position of power, the enemy, decides violence is meh so be my guest and i will treat you with respect. that's the start of an epic friendship, an intrigue that's bothering both their kingdom/countries and the reveal at the end of book is incredibly satisfactory because the two have earned it and it has happened because they have chosen peace and hope and working together instead of violence and killing and torture.
i loved it. absolutely wonderful way to spend an off day during middle of the week and i read it in one setting. an epic platonic friendship - i am all for it.
the two main protagonists start as enemies and the person in the position of power, the enemy, decides violence is meh so be my guest and i will treat you with respect. that's the start of an epic friendship, an intrigue that's bothering both their kingdom/countries and the reveal at the end of book is incredibly satisfactory because the two have earned it and it has happened because they have chosen peace and hope and working together instead of violence and killing and torture.
i loved it. absolutely wonderful way to spend an off day during middle of the week and i read it in one setting. an epic platonic friendship - i am all for it.
February 4, 2024
ZOMG. I love this one a lot.
This is full of buttons and tropes that I love - enemies to not quite friends yet, being left as a tribute (Tuyo), expecting death and torture but mostly finding kindness, working together even though they don't trust each other quite yet, saving your "enemy", heat exhaustion, platonic huddling/cuddling for warmth, being forced to watch someone being tortured to get you to spill your secrets, being mind controlled and set upon to kill your not quite friend, managing to overcome the mind control at least partially and saving your not quite friend and so on and so on. I mean. Hook. Line. Sinker.
I love Ryo and Aras so much. The way the slowly begin to trust each other (yes, Aras knew) and build something that will be, IMO, a lifelong friendship? The way Aras is so gentle with Ryo in the beginning? They way Ryo later on trusts Aras even though he is terrified of what has to be done? OMG.
I also love the side characters we get to know - the Guard. Ryos family and people.
I love how the two magic systems are shown and explained even though we barely get to know about the second one. I love that the women of winter lands sing their magic (even if they don't think it's magic).
I love how some twists are foreshadowed and some are surprising. I love that this reads as the one big adventure that it is.
While I love Ryos POV, there are some scenes I really, really, really wish we could have gone into Aras head and see what he thinks.
Yes, there are some things that are predictable. There is a typo or two. And so on. But, the story managed to capture me so much that I basically read it in one day. It's been a while since that happened. So, yeah, I love it and this one will be re-read a few times.
This is full of buttons and tropes that I love - enemies to not quite friends yet, being left as a tribute (Tuyo), expecting death and torture but mostly finding kindness, working together even though they don't trust each other quite yet, saving your "enemy", heat exhaustion, platonic huddling/cuddling for warmth, being forced to watch someone being tortured to get you to spill your secrets, being mind controlled and set upon to kill your not quite friend, managing to overcome the mind control at least partially and saving your not quite friend and so on and so on. I mean. Hook. Line. Sinker.
I love Ryo and Aras so much. The way the slowly begin to trust each other (yes, Aras knew) and build something that will be, IMO, a lifelong friendship? The way Aras is so gentle with Ryo in the beginning? They way Ryo later on trusts Aras even though he is terrified of what has to be done? OMG.
I also love the side characters we get to know - the Guard. Ryos family and people.
I love how the two magic systems are shown and explained even though we barely get to know about the second one. I love that the women of winter lands sing their magic (even if they don't think it's magic).
I love how some twists are foreshadowed and some are surprising. I love that this reads as the one big adventure that it is.
While I love Ryos POV, there are some scenes I really, really, really wish we could have gone into Aras head and see what he thinks.
Yes, there are some things that are predictable. There is a typo or two. And so on. But, the story managed to capture me so much that I basically read it in one day. It's been a while since that happened. So, yeah, I love it and this one will be re-read a few times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2025
An unexpected pleasure! I wish I could recall how I came to download the sample chapter for this one. Have I read other books with a war hostage at the center? It sounds like it ought to be a familiar trope but nothing comes to mind. (Edit: oh! Paladin’s Strength https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...)
Aras reminds me a bit of Bujold’s Aral Vorkosigan, though not quite so emo I guess.
Aras reminds me a bit of Bujold’s Aral Vorkosigan, though not quite so emo I guess.
June 29, 2020
Right from the start of this engrossing story, I was pulled right into the middle of Ryo’s plight. He has been left as a sacrifice in the hopes that their enemy will exact his revenge upon the young warrior, allowing the rest of the warband to escape into the wilds of the forest. So we start with Ryo waiting for his fate and wishing he could take back his angry words to his older brother, who’d made the painful decision to leave him. While also hoping that he doesn’t disgrace himself by buckling in the face of torture and trying to prepare himself for the upcoming encounter. However, in the event, he isn’t remotely ready for who he ends up facing…
This thoughtful, beautifully written fantasy adventure explores a clash of cultures and does a fabulous job of fully unpacking what it actually means to be in the hands of a sorcerer capable of going into your mind and altering your mental landscape, seeding false memories and changing your loyalties. While I’ve seen this form of magic used before – I cannot recall such a clever and thorough examination of the consequences of it. I was completely convinced of the threat and genuinely gripped as the stakes continued to be raised. Neumeier’s pacing and handling of her cast of characters, in addition to her wonderful worldbuilding – something she excels at – held me throughout. Very highly recommended for fans of intelligent, well written fantasy that is genuinely different. I received a copy of the ebook from the author, in return for an honest review.
10/10
This thoughtful, beautifully written fantasy adventure explores a clash of cultures and does a fabulous job of fully unpacking what it actually means to be in the hands of a sorcerer capable of going into your mind and altering your mental landscape, seeding false memories and changing your loyalties. While I’ve seen this form of magic used before – I cannot recall such a clever and thorough examination of the consequences of it. I was completely convinced of the threat and genuinely gripped as the stakes continued to be raised. Neumeier’s pacing and handling of her cast of characters, in addition to her wonderful worldbuilding – something she excels at – held me throughout. Very highly recommended for fans of intelligent, well written fantasy that is genuinely different. I received a copy of the ebook from the author, in return for an honest review.
10/10
March 5, 2021
I didn't expect to love this so fiercely, but I sure do. I picked this book up because it was on Kindle Unlimited. I don't go into Kindle Unlimited books expecting complicated interpersonal relationships and terrific character development, but once again, here we are.
It is absolutely mind boggling how much I love this.
The cultures that are involved in this book are extremely well developed, and there are a variety of ethnicities included. Not everyone is white and god I love it. Some of the cultures have influences that can be traced to modern cultures, but only if you squint real hard.
The author has created a terrific world here and somehow managed to avoid what I consider the bane of good worldbuilders. Info dumps. Nuemeier is content to tell you the relevant details only. We don't get a huge explanation of what a Talon wife is, and we don't get a lot of in depth explanation on how Ryo's culture handle marriage either.
I'm very curious about the prevalence of 2nd and 3rd wives. Is it mortality rates? Are they polygamist? Who knows!!
But Nuemeier has only told us what a soldier actually would be likely to stop and explain to a younger man who is a war prize essentially. In that situation, the soldiers are likely only to explain enough to let Ryo avoid mortal offense. And that's what we get here.
I really just love this book and I am so excited that the direct sequel should come out in the next couple of weeks. I have good timing!
Definitely going to buy a copy to support the author.
It is absolutely mind boggling how much I love this.
The cultures that are involved in this book are extremely well developed, and there are a variety of ethnicities included. Not everyone is white and god I love it. Some of the cultures have influences that can be traced to modern cultures, but only if you squint real hard.
The author has created a terrific world here and somehow managed to avoid what I consider the bane of good worldbuilders. Info dumps. Nuemeier is content to tell you the relevant details only. We don't get a huge explanation of what a Talon wife is, and we don't get a lot of in depth explanation on how Ryo's culture handle marriage either.
I'm very curious about the prevalence of 2nd and 3rd wives. Is it mortality rates? Are they polygamist? Who knows!!
But Nuemeier has only told us what a soldier actually would be likely to stop and explain to a younger man who is a war prize essentially. In that situation, the soldiers are likely only to explain enough to let Ryo avoid mortal offense. And that's what we get here.
I really just love this book and I am so excited that the direct sequel should come out in the next couple of weeks. I have good timing!
Definitely going to buy a copy to support the author.
March 19, 2023
I picked this up, intending to just check out the first few pages to see where to place it on my tbr...and next thing I know, it's fifteen minutes to midnight and I've finished the whole thing!
If someone had tried to pitch the premise to me, I wouldn't have been interested - hence it taking me three years to pick up, despite being a long-time fan of Neumeier's. But Tuyo swallowed me whole. The *way* it was told, the characters and the twistiness of the plot, made a story that shouldn't have interested me completely entrancing. Will definitely be reading the rest of the series!
If someone had tried to pitch the premise to me, I wouldn't have been interested - hence it taking me three years to pick up, despite being a long-time fan of Neumeier's. But Tuyo swallowed me whole. The *way* it was told, the characters and the twistiness of the plot, made a story that shouldn't have interested me completely entrancing. Will definitely be reading the rest of the series!
April 9, 2022
I haven't been good at reading book books for a few months and this really hit the spot for me. Tense; a lot of (mis)communication across cultures; extremely strong world building across several dimensions. Some very strong Left Hand of Darkness vibes. A great way to get back into reading!!
June 14, 2020
mesmerizingly immersive. If you love cross-cultural conflict building to the hope of understanding, with magic, this is one for you!
March 2, 2025
“Better than some” agreed. Nothing particularly offensive it's not bad but it's nothing remarkable but with some of the books being published today by people who believe it's not necessary to read or have an English degree to write a book maybe its only fault being unremarkable is a merit in itself.
The good things:
-the world building
-made up cultures actually explored
-characters are sorta likable but more like in a I guess they didn't do anything particularly offensive their alright 🤷♀️ I kinda liked Mc and the “scepter holder” (lol) and two girls that I don't remember their names (one is Adenine I think) and the guards but didn't seriously connect with any of them despite liking them.
-There’s magic but just the idea of it didn't keep me entertained for too long but it did for a bit. Its kinda interesting that magic is more widely frowned upon in this world. If we actually had magic it would be problematic but I don't know if the majority would be happy with magic existing or not.
Not so awesome:
- characters don’t really stand out
- Mc automatically assumes his tribes way of doing things is better (he might grow to be more open minded but I dnfed)
-hard to seriously connect with characters even if you have no grievances against them
- boring, a bit repetitive, not much is really going on. I was starting to fall asleep reading this its just not terribly interesting.
-character comes to a weird/far fetched conclusion that I only know is right because its the author taking control of their character and implanting that idea. You'd be surprised how often this sorta thing happens it's ridiculous.
-Nothing particularly special
This is just something I noticed that might not be a discredit but the Mc comments on the fact that in his tribe they kill anyone showing signs of magic from a young age meaning they kill kids. I don't know how to feel about that whole thing. Like I understand it's supposed to be for the greater good and to get rid of magic (if those kids grew up and had kids there'd be more magic) which I can see how magic can be problematic but like kids yk? I also don't know how to feel about mc’s attitude towards it I was not happy with his indifference to literal kids being killed but then again he's been conditioned from society and horrible tales to fear magic in such a way that he almost asked to be killed rather than be near a sorcerer. But is being conditioned by society and stories a good excuse? Questions people questions.
The good things:
-the world building
-made up cultures actually explored
-characters are sorta likable but more like in a I guess they didn't do anything particularly offensive their alright 🤷♀️ I kinda liked Mc and the “scepter holder” (lol) and two girls that I don't remember their names (one is Adenine I think) and the guards but didn't seriously connect with any of them despite liking them.
-There’s magic but just the idea of it didn't keep me entertained for too long but it did for a bit. Its kinda interesting that magic is more widely frowned upon in this world. If we actually had magic it would be problematic but I don't know if the majority would be happy with magic existing or not.
Not so awesome:
- characters don’t really stand out
- Mc automatically assumes his tribes way of doing things is better (he might grow to be more open minded but I dnfed)
-hard to seriously connect with characters even if you have no grievances against them
- boring, a bit repetitive, not much is really going on. I was starting to fall asleep reading this its just not terribly interesting.
-character comes to a weird/far fetched conclusion that I only know is right because its the author taking control of their character and implanting that idea. You'd be surprised how often this sorta thing happens it's ridiculous.
-Nothing particularly special
This is just something I noticed that might not be a discredit but the Mc comments on the fact that in his tribe they kill anyone showing signs of magic from a young age meaning they kill kids. I don't know how to feel about that whole thing. Like I understand it's supposed to be for the greater good and to get rid of magic (if those kids grew up and had kids there'd be more magic) which I can see how magic can be problematic but like kids yk? I also don't know how to feel about mc’s attitude towards it I was not happy with his indifference to literal kids being killed but then again he's been conditioned from society and horrible tales to fear magic in such a way that he almost asked to be killed rather than be near a sorcerer. But is being conditioned by society and stories a good excuse? Questions people questions.
July 11, 2020
This is a very strong character and culture based fantasy with a bit of an old school feel. There are parts that are a bit darker than what I expect from this author, but as a whole it still remains a hopeful novel that believes that the world can be good.
The world itself was fascinating and I certainly hope we get to explore more of it — whether with these characters or new ones. I especially enjoyed the depth used to explore the two conflicting cultures. As mentioned, it gives the novel a more classic feel. It’s lovely to enjoy this particular style of story again, but written with some modern sensibilities. This is also a friendship, rather than a romance, based story, which I also find nice. It’s just as important type of relationship, even though it’s less popular as a plot device. This does not mean that the characters never think of romance — some are married, some romantic interests, etc. It’s just not a major point of the story. There is also a small mention that gay men do exist in the world and no one particularly cares, so that’s nice to see even if we do not have any main lgbtqia+ characters in this novel. (That we know of)
The world itself was fascinating and I certainly hope we get to explore more of it — whether with these characters or new ones. I especially enjoyed the depth used to explore the two conflicting cultures. As mentioned, it gives the novel a more classic feel. It’s lovely to enjoy this particular style of story again, but written with some modern sensibilities. This is also a friendship, rather than a romance, based story, which I also find nice. It’s just as important type of relationship, even though it’s less popular as a plot device. This does not mean that the characters never think of romance — some are married, some romantic interests, etc. It’s just not a major point of the story. There is also a small mention that gay men do exist in the world and no one particularly cares, so that’s nice to see even if we do not have any main lgbtqia+ characters in this novel. (That we know of)
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