Kiwiria

Asher is a refreshing change to the common fantasy hero - he's neither a long-long son of some king somewhere, nor a diamond in the rough. He's merely rough. The unpolished fisherman who travels to the great city to work for a year, in order to earn money for his old dad. He says what he means and means what he says - and doesn't stop to think that perhaps he should occasionally phrase his comments more politely, in order not to ruffle any fancy feathers.I really enjoyed the book. The relationship between Asher and Prince Gar (half professional, half friendly) was interesting to follow, and rang true, as both realised that no fisherman could truly be a prince's equal, and a friendship would therefore always be lopsided. I liked that Karen Miller didn't let magic constantly "save the day" but allowed the characters and their personalities carry the plot.My main reason for not giving the book full "marks" is that it ended with a bit too much of a cliff-hanger. Karen Miller pulled no punches... and then left us hanging. It always frustrates me when a book isn't 'self-contained', and that cost it a star... doesn't mean I'm not still eagerly (and impatiently!) awaiting the next instalment in the series though.