Good read! Engaging characters in a very-believable fantasy realm. Magic/sorcery that works and doesn't stretch your willing suspension of disbelief. Solid, strong female characters make fantasy novels better for me, and Sileria has a good mix, while again Resnick maintains believability in that women have their "place" in the society. Fire-versus-water magic is often oversimplified, but this is good stuff.

Throughout the novel, I couldn't but help wonder if the setting was a real-world idea turned into a fantasy realm, and I was right. I won't mention what it is, since that might be close to spoilers, but it's a technique that I like and works. David Drake used to do this with his "Hammer's Slammers" stories--take classic battles from other ages and turn them into fusion-tank epics. It's easier to establish geopolitical relationships that are believable when they did indeed happen at one point or another in real-world history.

On now to book 2 of the trilogy, [b:The White Dragon|250355|The White Dragon (Chronicles of Sirkara, #2)|Laura Resnick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312045178s/250355.jpg|242590]