FANDOM NAME: The Spellsong Cycle - L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (Books)
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT: These are five books set in a fantasy world parallel to Earth--in which music can be used to do magic. The protagonist of the first three is Anna, a professor of music in her late forties who, grieving the death of her oldest daughter, wishes to be anywhere but where she is. Enter a continent on the brink of war, and people in need of a sorceress. I love Anna's grief and her struggle first to survive, then to take power so she can do something meaningful with her life in ways she couldn't back on Earth. There are discussions about getting feudal lords to pay their debts, and about creating infrastructure; there are also battles, and mighty spells. I also like the little bits of magical worldbuilding, like how in the continent Anna lands on, drums and dancing used to be a thing, but now people treat them as anything from obscene to abominable, except some of the antagonists, and Anna is so befuddled about it. And I like how there are many chapters for female characters apart from the female protagonists, and that these are from women around her age who are in power in their respective countries. The last two books are about her foster daughter Secca, who shoulders Anna's legacy and tries to keep things from getting worse after her death, while wrangling with who she was on a personal level. I love their relationship and how Secca builds on what Anna did to earn her own renown.
The first three books are a complete story on their own, so I'd love fic pertaining only to them just as much as fic pertaining to the others/the whole series.
Content Notes: Assault and attempted assault, onscreen and off; sexualized murder and offscreen but implied sexual torture of minor female characters with regard to one antagonist across two of the books; lots of misogyny; one set of antagonists being likened to Hitler; another set of antagonists being likened to Islamic extremists; high body count when it comes to the wars.
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?(optional): The books are available in paperback, hardback, audio, and as ebooks.
The Spellsong Cycle - L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (Books)
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT: These are five books set in a fantasy world parallel to Earth--in which music can be used to do magic. The protagonist of the first three is Anna, a professor of music in her late forties who, grieving the death of her oldest daughter, wishes to be anywhere but where she is. Enter a continent on the brink of war, and people in need of a sorceress. I love Anna's grief and her struggle first to survive, then to take power so she can do something meaningful with her life in ways she couldn't back on Earth. There are discussions about getting feudal lords to pay their debts, and about creating infrastructure; there are also battles, and mighty spells. I also like the little bits of magical worldbuilding, like how in the continent Anna lands on, drums and dancing used to be a thing, but now people treat them as anything from obscene to abominable, except some of the antagonists, and Anna is so befuddled about it. And I like how there are many chapters for female characters apart from the female protagonists, and that these are from women around her age who are in power in their respective countries. The last two books are about her foster daughter Secca, who shoulders Anna's legacy and tries to keep things from getting worse after her death, while wrangling with who she was on a personal level. I love their relationship and how Secca builds on what Anna did to earn her own renown.
The first three books are a complete story on their own, so I'd love fic pertaining only to them just as much as fic pertaining to the others/the whole series.
Content Notes: Assault and attempted assault, onscreen and off; sexualized murder and offscreen but implied sexual torture of minor female characters with regard to one antagonist across two of the books; lots of misogyny; one set of antagonists being likened to Hitler; another set of antagonists being likened to Islamic extremists; high body count when it comes to the wars.
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?(optional): The books are available in paperback, hardback, audio, and as ebooks.