(no subject)

A post on stillnotbored's LJ the other day referencing another LJ post about women writers and the balls they have to juggle.  And the balls they have to let go in order to continue finding the time to write.  And not to slam the males on my flist, but I have an observation that women do spend more time juggling than men.  Maybe you specific guys are more sensitive and helpful, but I'm saying that in generalities, men seem to be not quite as in tune with the whole child care and household duties.  Not that they're unfeeling or such, but to me it's more a matter of the difference between the sexes.  And I truly think there is one.  Women seem to respond more to nonverbal cues, and not only that, but we *watch* for them.  Constantly.  Watching, evaluating, assessing whether our help is needed or not.  And as a consequence, continually adjusting what we're doing in order to take care of other things.  Always making concessions to our own wants and needs--not even because we're asked, but  because we want to.  But still, it has an effect in making us feel downtrodden after a while.  And just to set the record straight.  I don't consider females to be the weaker sex.  Don't get all up in arms, men, I'm just saying I don't think either one is weaker than the other.  Just different.  And keep that in mind when you write about women characters.  We're strong, we're proud of it, and we don't put up with no shit unless we choose to.

I'm just saying. 

A Sword of Red Ice

A Sword of Red Ice, by J.V. Jones, book #3 of the "Sword of Shadows" series, continues the story from A Cavern of Black Ice and A Fortress of Gray Ice.  All three books have been excellent; a sweeping epic of a tale, richly textured and full of compelling characters.  The story will continue in another two books, according to the author's website (http://www.jvj.com/).  I was swept up in the epic in book one, and I've not been disappointed in the others.  The only bad news now is that I have to wait to find out what happens to the characters.  There's Ash March, a foundling who was left outside the city of Spire Vanis, and raised by the Surlord.  Ash escapes, only to find that the Surlord wanted her because she is a Reach, although she is yet to discover exactly what this means.  Raif Severance, of Clan Blackhail, an honorable and likeable hero, is forced to make a hard choice--more than once.  This is true for most of the characters.  It's a harsh world, set in a bitterly cold landscape.  One thing I really liked is that the author has included a synopsis in Book 3 of the story so far, which is extremely helpful to remind the reader of what they may have forgotten from the previous books.  I wish more multi-book series did this.  

In A Sword of Red Ice, Raif returns to the Maimed Men and makes an oath to protect them from the undead that are beginning to break through the fabric of the world.  Ash has lost the protection of her Sull foster fathers only to come under the protection of another Sull.  But can she trust him?  Effie Severance, Raif's nine-year-old sister, has been kidnapped by another clan, along with a new friend.  Drey Severance, Raif's brother, has been captured by the city men.  Raina, wife of the Blackhail Chief, must try to protect her clan from being taken over by another clan.  I can't begin to tell the story in only a paragraph or two.  If you love to immerse yourself in an epic tale, you won't be disappointed in these books.