"Territory" by Emma Bull
I had resisted this book, due to its western theme, despite loving the author's previous (solo) efforts. But I just finished reading it, and I must say it's awfully good! Emma Bull can write such evocative paragraphs. The way they fit right into the flow of the story is much better than some "literary fiction" (chosen by my book group), where every sentence is so self-consciously lyrical that it creates an impenetrable surface.
One striking example of the prose.... An American character, possessing typical European-style values of reason and science, seems to be reluctantly discovering magical abilities. Not an uncommon theme in fantasy. But who's said it better than this? "What ought to be superstition had become the heart of a sort of bastard engineering."
I'm very glad I did not read the paperback's back cover first. It gives away things that the story uncovers in its own good time.
One striking example of the prose.... An American character, possessing typical European-style values of reason and science, seems to be reluctantly discovering magical abilities. Not an uncommon theme in fantasy. But who's said it better than this? "What ought to be superstition had become the heart of a sort of bastard engineering."
I'm very glad I did not read the paperback's back cover first. It gives away things that the story uncovers in its own good time.