****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I'm so glad I decided to go ahead and get this holiday story, which takes place during the epilogue of book 3. (I debated waiting: I usually hunt or wait for sales, but for books 2 & 3, I didn't. I devoured this trilogy within days. So, couldn't the end of the crisis conditions on-world content me for a while? Answer: nope!) The author's note explains that it grew from a planned mere short story, an extra serialized on her website. Sometimes the best things aren't what we plan!This story is quiet, no action, no bad guys.There's a meaningful ritual about history, sacrifice, and gratitude, which resonates with Reese's own background.There's giving and receiving carefully thought-out gifts among family-by-choice, from humorous, to touching, to the life-changing opportunities in Liolesa's little envelopes. I was delighted to finally learn more about Kis'eh't's past and Bryer's hopes. And it's good Araelis won't be allowed to sink into lonely purposelessness.There's Reese's study of the roles of tenant/servant and lady, and her determined hybrid of modern and traditional in the symbolic gifts to her wary tenants, then getting to know some of them. Which leads to...There's horses, which is always a fun element to have in sci-fi, like having your cake and eating it too. (Is there a list about that anywhere? Let's see, Doona, Heris Serrano, Firefly doesn't count 'cause it's not a book, what else can we add?) Reese also discovers why the Hinichi wolfkin charge adoption prices for their guard dogs: they AREN'T mere animals.There's continued construction and reconstruction of the castle, Hirianthial's hospital, Val's chapterhouse, and (though Reese has to rein in her Tam-ilee engineer's sweeping ambitions) the even-more-neglected village.Of course, there's the feast to finish with. I won't spoiler if/how the tenants reciprocate with their own traditional gifts to their constantly-surprising new lady.And through it all there's love, humor, and Reese and Hirianthial getting impatient for their wedding.Even if this had remained short, it wouldn't have been a good sample/starting point, because so much of it depends on all that came before, but for series fans it's a charming gift, just right for the holiday season.
