I don't think I can get enough of Sharon Shinn's writing (which is probably evidenced by my recent marathon of several of her books). There is something so calming, so uplifting about reading her books. Imaginative, melodic, engaging, entrancing, lyrical...I'm sure I could go on, but probably not without repeating myself at some point. I can't speak for all her novels, but of the ones I've read so far, the stories are always gently-told tales of fantasy, where the highs are never deliriously dizzying nor the lows ever heart-breakingly melancholy. Reading this book is like taking a relaxing boat ride down a smooth, wide river, where the current is just fast enough to continuously present new scenes of wonder and delight yet slow enough to allow you to take in all the details of each vista. Any unpleasantness in the story is like a small rock in that river, rising just high enough to cause a small ripple without creating any dangerous rapids or exposing any sharp surfaces which might damage the boat. (And I have officially run this metaphor to ground.) That's why I'd recommend Sharon Shinn to any fan of Robin McKinley (and vice versa, if you'd care to ask) as they have the same gentle manner of storytelling, creating richly detailed stories and authentically-voiced characters. The tales always seem to be told through a fogged lens, heightening the fantasy and lending a romantic tone to every action. There is no ugliness here, or I should say, when ugliness or brutality does make an appearance, it's almost always a brief appearance, dealt with in a usually swift and always satisfying manner.

Zoe Ardelay's father has just died, having succumbed to a terrible wasting illness. Before she can figure out how her life will play out without her father, the most interesting and vibrant man she's ever encountered, in it, a stranger appears on her doorstep, announcing he is to escort Zoe to the royal city, where she's to become the king's fifth wife. Thus begins Zoe's tale, which takes her from an isolated village on the outskirts of the kingdom to the royal city and beyond, and which transforms Zoe from a shadow to a force to be reckoned with. I won't say anything more as others have synopsized the book much more eloquently than I could, I'm sure. I will say I hope that Shinn has more novels in the works and if she didn't, it would be a waste of a detailed, complex and intriguing world. I foresee at least four more tales. After all, this is a world which revolves around the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, and wood); each person born into this world is associated with an element, is an element, so everything revolves around this concept. Troubled Waters focused on water, so that leaves four other elemental stories to tell. Seems logical to me. Please, Ms. Shinn, prove me right!