Zypheria's call
This is the second in the Tanyth Fairport series, a charming fantasy about a middle aged herb woman who is traveling the world in search of additional knowledge about her craft and who seems to be developing strange abilities as she enters menopause. This second installment is not quite as exciting as the first one was -- the dangers, though real, are a little less urgent. But that's okay, I don't want every book to have the same plot.
Characters are good. I know it's sexist of me to be surprised at how well a male writer can portray a middle aged female (a notoriously ignored group), but it's one of the things I appreciate so much about Lowell.
This is not "heroic" fantasy, but that's one of the things I love about it. These are real people dealing with everyday, mostly ordinary challenges. I think of it as gentle fantasy.
