Sarah Micklem - Firethorn

Introducing a mesmerizing debut in the rich tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley and the powerful narratives of Jacqueline Carey—a passionate tale of love and war in which the gods grant a common girl uncommon gifts… Before she was Firethorn, she was Luck, named for her red hair and favored by the goddess of Chance. A lowborn orphan, Luck is destined to a life of servitude. But when her mistress dies, Luck flees to the forest, where she discovers the sacred firethorn tree, whose berries bring her fevered dreams, a new name…and strange gifts. When she emerges from the woods, Firethorn is a new woman, with mysterious powers.
And soon, in the chaos of the UpsideDown Days, when the highborn and the low trade places, Firethorn couples with the warrior Sire Galan, whom she follows to camp with the king’s army. There she learns that in her new role as a sheath, a warrior’s bedservant, she is but one step above a whore. By day she uses her gifts as a healer to earn a place among the camp’s women, and by night she shares Sire Galan’s bed, her desire equal to his. But the passion they feel for each other has no place in a world ruled by caste and violence. When her lover makes an ill-considered wager that chances her heart, the consequences are disastrous—and Firethorn will learn how hard it can be to tell honor from dishonor, justice from vengeance.

Comment: I had this book in the pile since 2011. I probably got it because it was a fantasy that suggested some sort of magic in the protagonist's abilities and, of course, I imagined a romantic story as she follows the hero, which the blurb suggests...

Luck is a young woman who has been a servant to a lady and she has had a good life despite her status and the fact she is an orphan. When the lady dies, her house and servants are passed through to one nephew, someone who isn't as interested in keeping things as they have been. Luck runs away into the nearby forest where, after an year surviving, she ends up eating the berries of a sacred firethorn tree, which allows her to develop some skills.

She returns to the estate and she is eager to have a new life but most of the problems continue. In the aftermath of a traditional event, she decides to follow Sire Galen, a young man on his road to battle, and Luck, now self called Firethorn, goes too, as a healer and as his lover. This situation isn't well seen by others for women who do this are considered no better than a prostitute, but Firethorn is determined to show them all how different she is...

I really should have read the blurb more carefully when I decided to get this book. I also should have been more selective in picking it in the first place, apart from the single fact it was a fantasy and that it suggested elements I was interested in seeing developed. Sadly, I cannot say if this ends up being so, because I DNF'd around page 130, more or less, just as Firethorn is about to leave with Sire Galen.

The beginning wasn't too bad and the writing was captivating enough even though the chapters are very long and the prologue, with Luck pretty much alone in the forest, not having much action. I commiserated with this heroine, whose live changed at the whim of someone else and when she failed to be receptive to the advances of the new owner of the estate, I figured her road would be one of becoming stronger, independent and, perhaps, finding love in adverse circumstances.

By this point, I had convinced myself this would be a story about Luck/Firethorn learning how to do things and deal with her new skills, but also be more discerning and aware of what others might be like, and how much she would try to "be a good person". Yes, this expression might mean a lot to some, not enough for others, but it was my perception. Anyway, then I was also kind of misguided - I really misread that - regarding the words "in the chaos of the UpsideDown Days, when the highborn and the low trade places" ,which made me think something in this world would magically happen and Firethorn would become a noble... how ridiculous my lack of attention was, I didn't even read the rest carefully...

Suffice to say, the "UpsideDown days" are precisely that, days, as in time and not in eras, and it wasn't much of a big deal. Firethorn is still as lowborn as she used to after the celebration of this event and instead of being this wise, careful woman in a world that does punish women, she sleeps with this random guy and then thinks her best option of life - perhaps she wasn't too wrong, after all I have not read the end - was to follow him and develop her new skills where necessary, such as in a war. Well... perhaps this is being feminist and independent, as in making one's own rules, but I was disillusioned. I confess I expected more of the heroine and of how she would think/behave.

When she decides to join Sire Galen despite what it would entail, even if it was her own choice, the way everyone reacts to this decision of hers, and what it meant socially, the way women are considered cattle and or/propriety in the big scheme of things... well, I can dream her journey might take her into a gorgeous scenario but I'm not interested in actually reading about it since it seems it would also include a lot of chapters with bad tings happening to her or where she would be mistreated. 

I prefer to not get annoyed at this.

Therefore, despite the long time in the pile, this one is a DNF.

Grade: DNF