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In an
ancient Africa of verdant -Plus-
"What
can I say except Wow! Lee Killough's The Leopard's Daughter is a fast-paced original
fantasy with teeth and claws. You can smell
the heat of the veldt and hear the roar of the pride of lions on the Serengeti. One
cracking good read."—
A review posted by "a reader" at Amazon.com I really liked this book, Leopard's Daughter, by Lee Killough. I don't read a lot of fantasy, because most fantasy books always seems to be some sort of Tolkien rip-off, ultimate good versus ultimate evil, the secret heir to the throne, celtic or gaelic or european mythology; the story unfolding over thick volume after thick volume. And it always seems to come out in trilogies or long series of some kind. A two word phrase that I have come to dread is: "Epic Fantasy." However, this book was fantasy, but based on African mythology. I bought a book called Dark Matter, which is a collection of african american science fiction. I read the introduction to Dark Matter, and it mentioned and recommended Leopard's Daughter, by Lee Killough. So, I picked it up used, and I just finished reading it. I loved it. The main character is Jeneba, the daughter of a Dasa princess, who is the sister of the king, and a leopard-man shapeshifter. Jeneba is very strong, trained as a warrior, who is betrayed and then sets out to clear her name. Perhaps not the most original plot, but it had some unusual choices, the characters acted in unusual ways, and the ending was unexpected, the fate of several of the characters came off quite different than I thought they would. The freshest, most interesting thing about this book was the setting and mythology - african, rather than the usual celtic/british isles landscape and mythology that most fantasies seem to use. There wasn't an elf, a dwarf, a unicorn, a dragon, a castle, a secret prince to be seen. There were man-bushes, thorn magic, familial and tribal facial tattoos, and mystical hyenas who interrogate the dead. I don't know anything about african mythology, but Killough seems to have done her homework. Leopard's Daughter just seemed to be really different, unique, a book that sticks in
the mind; and I enjoyed that alot... Another Great Review! On the Sahara Plains, in spite of being the niece of
their King Mseluku Karamoke, her Dasa of the Imbu tribe always held Jeneba Karamoke in
contempt because her sire is a shapeshifting leopard man. Still Jeneba is a loyal strong
warrior woman and would die for the Dasa, especially her family. However her prayers to
become accepted through brave deeds fail, even when she rescues her warrior peers
including her uncle from monstrous half-human cannibals, because everyone blames her for
their original plight instead of the man who failed the tribe, Tomo Silla. Ironically
Tomo's action, including his disappearance, has turned him into a martyred hero instead of
a betraying deserter. Outraged and disappointed, Jeneba decides she must find
Tomo and force him to speak the truth to the Dasa. She begins her personal mission, but
instead she finds she must lead losers on a quest to save the people of the missing city
of THE LEOPARD'S DAUGHTER is a terrific refreshing fantasy
based on the African mythos. The location and the various fantastic species make for a
vastly different quest that readers will appreciate. Jeneba is a wonderful protagonist who
must save the world she knows when all she wants is to prove herself worthy to her people.
Her companions are delightful as there are not heroic Tolkien heroes, but instead include
Tomo and a half-man who should be her enemy. A solid short science fiction murder mystery
"Afterburn" is included though it is seemingly out of place with the prime tale
as a bonus that showcases the vast talent of Lee Killough. Reviewed by Harriet Klausner Publisher: Yard Dog Press
Summary
In an ancient Africa of verdant -Plus- Aftershock, a brand new novella with a truly alien
flavor! |
