Hazel

Wondrous stuff. I can't even rank my enjoyment of the Steerswoman books relative to one another because they've all got unique strengths and absolutely delicious payoffs that expand the scope and scale of the setting in ways you couldn't have possibly guessed going in. They're also a wellspring of gender for me, especially this one. I will not elaborate on that in an attempt to get you to find out for yourself.

I know that Rosemary Kirstein wears a Steerswoman's ring, which is good because I've got QUESTIONS. And I wish her the best of luck with finishing the series!

Turn-of-the-millennia lesbian fantasy pulp that's so turn-of-the-millennia lesbian fantasy pulp that it actually started life as a Xena fic. It manages to punch above its weight almost everywhere though. I was recommended this book on the basis that it possessed shades of Steerswoman, and while it's not as deliberate in its construction it does tickle a lot of the same parts of my brain with how the protagonist comes to make assumptions about the setting. Also a delightfully harrowing depiction of internalized gay shame, that somehow manages to be played for rom-com fluff later on.