Troubled Waters

Troubled Waters
By Sharon Shinn
Ace Books, 2010. 391 pages. Fantasy

A unique new fantasy where the entire kingdom (status, personality, religion) is structured around the 5 elements. As a Coru women, Zoe Ardeley takes after her dead mother’s side of the family which means she has an affinity for water and blood. Zoe’s father, a Sweela man (fire affinity), was once a high ranking advisor to the king until his family fell out of favor and he and Zoe had to sneak away in the night and have now been living in hiding for the past 10 years. When her father dies, Zoe has no plans to return to the capital, but when Darien Serlast shows up, the new advisor to the king, she has no choice. There Zoe is thrust into the dangerous world of the court and must quickly learn who she is and what powers she wields.

Shinn does an excellent job of combining great characters, dangerous political scheming, secrets agendas, and a dash of romance to create a intriguing fantasy story that is hard to put down.

AJ