I enjoyed this one more the second time I read it.

A dark fantasy. The heroine, Tilja leaves the valley she grew up in to look for a way to renew the magic that protects the valley.

While this may seem like a straight down the line fantasy, with the heroine going on a quest, finding what her purpose in life is and so on, it approaches these familiar themes in unexpected ways. There is nothing swashbuckling or romantic about this story, the characters are extremely down to earth and unpretentious.

It's quite a grim book that creates some very bleak scenarios. Such as an Empire in which everyone is in perpetual slavery to the Emperor, to the extent that they cannot even die without a permit.

This book and its sequel "Angle Isle" has some of the most convincing and powerful older characters that I've come across in fantasy, particularly the old women. And the relationships between the old and the young gets away from all the hoary old "wise sage" clichés.

The magic system is fascinating too; cannot say much without giving away important plot points though! :)