The Sun Sword Series

Here West creates a deeply original world, evocative of India, or the 1001 Arabian Nights, or ancient Japan; I really can't place it, as it is truly its own, with its unique dichotomy of cultures. Her prose is lyrical and descriptive, the ponderous pace of the story isn't for everyone, but this epic fantasy is replete with strong, charismatic women of all walks of life. From Diora, the world's most beautiful woman, gifted with a kind of siren song; to Jewel, and her reluctant rise to leadership of a different kind; to a street child and her gang who are adopted into one of the feuding noble houses; the strength of women abounds in these books. The series is massive in scope, being the story of a place as much as of the people and their relationships in it, encompassing six books, each weighing in around 700 pages. The Sun Sword novels are filled with complex political machinations, and themes addressing the power of choice, and the difference between heroes, and heroism.