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The Steerswoman

(The Steerswoman #1)

Rosemary Kirstein

3.99 · Rating details · 2,333 ratings · 290 reviews

The Steerswoman is the first novel in the Steerswoman series. Steerswomen, and a very few Steersmen, are members of an order dedicated to discovering and disseminating knowledge. Although they are foremost navigators of the high seas, Steerswomen are also explorers and cartographers upon land as well as sea. With one exception, they are pledged to always answer any questio ...more

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Paperback, 279 pages

Published August 13th 1989 by Del Rey Books

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Dec 28, 2007 Anna rated it really liked it

If you don't end up with a crush on the sidekick, you're not a lesbian. ...more

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Nov 16, 2016 Robin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: maps-on-the-endsheets, strong-women, female-author, speculative-fiction, published-1900s, 2016, sci-fi, friend-recommendation

How have I never heard of this series until now? I think the answer is that the mainstream speculative fiction community may not have been ready in 1989 for an extremely competent, well-educated, ethically driven woman to turn up and get shit done without even the slightest suggestion ever arising that she shouldn't be expected to do just that. And are they ready now? Ample evidence suggests perhaps still not, which is too bad for all of us. The least I can do to counteract this unfortunate fact How have I never heard of this series until now? I think the answer is that the mainstream speculative fiction community may not have been ready in 1989 for an extremely competent, well-educated, ethically driven woman to turn up and get shit done without even the slightest suggestion ever arising that she shouldn't be expected to do just that. And are they ready now? Ample evidence suggests perhaps still not, which is too bad for all of us. The least I can do to counteract this unfortunate fact is boost the signal when an excellent candidate for the canon comes along.

Things I loved:

The world building unfolds slowly and naturally. We are allowed to discover details of the steerswoman's social code and methodologies as they arise in the story. We encounter cultural differences between groups as the members themselves grapple with them.

Race, gender, and sexuality are all non-issues, neither attached to established norms nor highlighted as Importantly Different.

For once, it is a relief not to be reading a series where the stakes are immediately the highest of high. (You know the kind: world going to end, great forces of evil amassing, no hope for anyone unless heroes can find a way to overcome seemingly impossible odds to restore light and goodness and beauty.) Sometimes the world is already grim enough and you want to follow along as some capable, no-nonsense women investigate the origin of some mysterious gems and the reasons why certain powers that be want to misdirect their investigations.

There's a remarkable absence of whining. Also, no love triangles, or fraught romantic entanglements of any kind. Instead, we get smart characters talking through conundrums they observe in the world, challenges that must be overcome, mysterious forces that must be respected and counterbalanced to serve and protect the interests of society.

Doesn't this sound like something you want to be reading about right now?

"In every case where the jewels were found on one side of a thing, it's always been the northwest face. It's as if a giant flung them across the land--and the giant faced south-east."
"That may be the answer."
Rowan laughed, amused by the image. "No, it couldn't be, of course. He'd have to be far too tall, and far too strong."
"But why not, if it's just a question of size? There are more strange things in the world than you or I have seen."
Rowan felt a strange chill fall on her. She became aware of the space around and above her: the distance to the road, the edge of the forest close at hand. She sensed the area that the first line of trees defined, heard the wind whistling in the space that curved over their tops. She saw two women huddled by a fire, in a place that lay equally distant from each horizon, in the center of a circle. And she knew, with mapmaker's eyes, how small that circle was. The world was a very large place, and might well contain such things as giants large enough to scatter objects with a single toss, from the Long North Road to the heart of the Outskirts.
And yet...
"Well, let's see." Rowan shifted back a bit from the fire, leaving a wide clear area in front of her. She picked up her pen and, using the blunt end, sketched in the dirt....
"A graph," Rowan began. She prepared to elaborate, but her thoughts ran ahead, leaving her explanation somewhat abbreviated. "It charts the time it takes an object to fall. The horizontal distance traveled isn't a factor. We look at distance traveled here--" and she sketched a second figure beside the first. "Moving objects fall in a curve. The harder the object is thrown, the faster it moves, and the farther it can travel before falling. And, of course, it helps to start from high up." ...
"But your line doesn't show that the ground curves too. The earth is round."
Rowan stopped short. Bel continued. "You don't need to think about it, normally, but if you're pretending the giant is throwing past the horizon, it seems to me that it would make a difference."
"True." Rowan felt faintly embarrassed for having underestimated the level of Bel's knowledge. She knew aristocrats in Wulfshaven who doubted that the earth was round. ...
"True, it would make a difference," she repeated. "You have the curve of the earth's surface--" She drew a long arched line. "And the curve of the jewel's path." She drew a second, wildly out of scale, intersecting the first. "And, of course, the harder he threw, the more the arc flattens." She drew a flatter path, reaching farther past the curved "horizon."
She looked at the three lines for a long time. "That's odd."
"What?"
She reached out and added one more line to the out-of-scale sketch. ... "According to this, if he threw something hard enough, it would never come down."

...more

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May 03, 2011 Maree rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

I really liked this book, and I don't know that I can give a really clear definition of why. It's not an intensely gripping read, but it's definitely one I turn over in my mind and consider when I'm doing other things. I'm really interested in the world Kirstein has created -- okay no, not the world so much as the character of a Steerswoman (or man). Refreshing, by the way, that the Steersmen are sometimes just called Steerswomen as well because there are so few of them.

The idea behind a Steersw I really liked this book, and I don't know that I can give a really clear definition of why. It's not an intensely gripping read, but it's definitely one I turn over in my mind and consider when I'm doing other things. I'm really interested in the world Kirstein has created -- okay no, not the world so much as the character of a Steerswoman (or man). Refreshing, by the way, that the Steersmen are sometimes just called Steerswomen as well because there are so few of them.

The idea behind a Steerswoman is that they are traveling scholars looking to supplement as well as share their knowledge. They are required to answer any question put to them by anyone and in turn, any question they ask must be answered, or the questioner will be placed under a ban where no Steerswoman will ever answer a question from them again. If they lie about an answer, same thing. This seems like it'd be rather difficult to enforce, considering this is set in times where they still travel on horses (and letters travel even slower) and they don't have photographs as a means of identifying who is under the ban. But I can appreciate the idea behind it, and the people seem to respect it enough, anyway. Aside from wizards, who pretty much ignore questions about their magic, and Outskirters, who aren't really familiar with 'civilized' customs. Guess which two groups the first two books deal with.

So we have our Steerswoman, Rowan, and her sidekick Bel (though I would never dare to call her a sidekick to her face), who is an Outskirter who decides to travel with her on a whim to see the Inner Lands. Despite their different ways, they become fast friends and companions who complement one another in battle as well as in thought. Bel is a fierce warrior and our introduction to all Inner customs, as Rowan has to explain them to her as they pass. There is a sharp and often witty rapport between the two which I really enjoy.

Our story begins with Rowan investigating the origins of a number of beautiful blue crystals that have been found in random locations throughout the land, highly polished and cut, but simply sprinkled throughout as if by a giant throwing them toward the east. With Bel as her faithful companion and a runaway boy named Will who has the makings of becoming a wizard himself, the three of them set off to investigate, dodging attacks, dragon fire, and false leads along the way. They eventually determine who is responsible for trying to throw them off track and kill them -- (view spoiler)

There were a few times in the book from chapter to chapter where the story would abruptly jump, usually over travel time or at the end of a chapter, the characters would outline a plan and we'd jump to the plan already having been carried out and see the results. I was startled by this at first, but really ended up liking it. It's like the author decided 'There's really no need to go through the process step by step if it's already been laid out into the plan. Let's get to the next part of the adventure!'

(view spoiler)

Okay, back to the Steerswomen. I really enjoyed how much it pained Rowan when she was unable to answer a question, and how much it annoyed her when someone would refuse to answer. I kept thinking that everyone should be so open toward one another, willing to have that free flow of information. And to have a profession where one simply keeps learning would be dreamy for me.

One thing I'm on the seesaw about is the way Rowan would sometimes get around the ban by not asking direct questions or simply answering without asking questions in return. I hated that she had to stop herself from asking and therefore only giving information with nothing in return. It seemed to defeat the whole purpose of a Steerswoman as well as the purpose of the ban. On the other hand, it was really the only way to glean unintentionally given information and keep the conversation flowing generally toward what she wanted to know. Ends justify the means? ...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Althea Ann rated it it was amazing

Kirstein's 'Steerswoman' series had been highly recommended to me - and did not disappoint in the slightest. It's fun, well-crafted, well-characterized adventure with an original set-up and believable culture(s). Rowan is a Steerswoman. As the title might indicate, she is adept at nautical navigation, but the main goal of Steerswomen is to collect (and dissemintate) knowledge and information, write it down, and deliver it to Archives. As a valuable source of information, Steerswomen are greatly ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 Ryan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wotf, want-wotf

Hard to believe that this was published in 1989. Seems lazy to say that this story has great characters that are likeable and complex. That the world building is incredibly detailed yet easy to read. All the positive book review clichés that you can imagine are suitable for this novel that often feels like science fiction masquerading as fantasy. A story that has wizards and dragons yet somehow manages not to cross the line into what I consider the fantastical.

I loved the idea of Steerswomen. P ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Jessica Mae Stover added it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-will-read-again

It is my intention that you read this series (as I write this, I'm on book four). That The Steerswoman series has flown under the radar for decades throughout its rollout, and yet is better than most fantasy published, is revealing, and a confirmation of the unjust bias and lack of support that too many authors face. We can argue to what degree, but it is.

I'm planning to write more about this series if/when I have the chance, and will review the first book alongside the second here, which will It is my intention that you read this series (as I write this, I'm on book four). That The Steerswoman series has flown under the radar for decades throughout its rollout, and yet is better than most fantasy published, is revealing, and a confirmation of the unjust bias and lack of support that too many authors face. We can argue to what degree, but it is.

I'm planning to write more about this series if/when I have the chance, and will review the first book alongside the second here, which will lift its stars higher, so this post may be updated. There are no spoilers below.

The first book will be pleasantly recognizable to fantasy fans and especially to D&D players and dungeon masters: it begins at an inn, strangers in the common room, a magical artifact causes two to travel together and soon a dangerous encounter binds them for a longer journey... . Different, however, is Kirstein's sociological thoughtfulness (finally a lack of the sexism and misogyny that pervades my favorite genre, including nearly all of the books on "NPR's Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books" list). In that way, this series is an oasis in a hostile desert. Also notable is Kirstein's commitment to skepticism via the scientific method. This is where Carl Sagan's readers, and fans Star Trek's TNG-Picard era, will find something to sink their teeth into. The second book takes us into very fresh ground: it's full of interesting choices and reminds me of beloved anthro-socio TNG investigatory, travelogue episodes such as Darmok. The second half of the third book is also remarkable, and the author is not afraid to let time pass between novels and take us to new places with new characters. I know from my own work how much more time and effort is required in starting in an entirely new location vs returning to the same location book after book. It's still difficult, but adds less difficulty, to return to Hogwarts year after year. The amount of attention spent on creating a sense of place and ecology in book two is simply delicious, and once the setup was achieved, I had a hard time putting it down.

Kirstein shows she is thinking about all of us as she writes: there is an advanced sense of inclusiveness and equality in these novels, and that means you will find yourself in the peoples who inhabit these lands, and when you do, you will be equal.

The only deep criticism I have for this series is in regard to the torture that appears in book one: there are zero consequences and there is too much hypocrisy when the protagonists torture a captive. I left the first book disliking them very much (and fascinated by that unintended side effect), yet I also left wanting to read more to see if there would be blowback for torture and escalated, armed attacks, and therefore comment. There was not, and that was a mistake. I've written about how Octavia Butler handled something similar. But I don't want to see women, and SF/F authors who actually go out of their way to otherwise apply near-perfect social science to their texts, held to higher standard here: your favorite fantasy book likely contains casual torture and other scenes that are as dangerous and appalling, and (this scares me about us as Americans) you likely had no problem with it. I grew up the same way -- it was normalized in media. And so it came to pass that when America entered a dark mood after a terrible attack, torture and other horrors did not receive a reaction from the citizenry until it was far too late. This is the consequence of normalization via repetition: passive permissiveness. Book one is not so casual about torture as other fantasy works, yet still normalizes its application. I do regard this as a serious problem in fiction across media, most of which at this point has been written by men. Have you noticed how much casual torture appears in your favorite shows or books? How many seasons of 24 have you enjoyed without hesitation? Casual torture is a dealbreaker for me, but this series is handled so well afterward and otherwise, that I went on, and am glad that I did. I hope you will think about and confront these ideas when you read The Steerswoman all the way through, too. As I said in the beginning: It is my intention that you read this series.

Thank you to my Patrons for facilitating this review and supporting my SFF writing: Patreon.com/JSto ...more

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Aug 04, 2012 R.C. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This book was excellent. Hands-down the best thing I've read in a long time. An original, interesting plot, a huge mystery, and excellent characters. Character building, character interactions, just...everything. Rowan and Bel are both intelligent, capable women, and they plunge into the mystery of the "jewels" with courage, intelligence, and logic rather than the usual sword-swinging approach. Rowan is ferociously smart and well-educated, and it is so, so wonderful to see that not just told but ...more

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Apr 27, 2009 Margaret rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction, authors-kl, 2009-read

(As is my wont with series, this is essentially a review of all the books, four to date.)

Rowan is a Steerswoman, one of an order of people (mostly women) who are dedicated to seeking, sharing, and storing information. She has become interested in some mysterious jewels and joins up with Bel, a warrior woman from the land's outskirts, to search for their origin, which proves to be tied up with the powerful, enigmatic wizards. Suddenly, Rowan and Bel are involved in something much bigger than they ...more

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Jun 14, 2016 Rachel Neumeier rated it it was amazing

The characters: Well-drawn. Rowan, Bel, and Willam are all quite appealing in their different ways. Rowan’s observation skills and general perceptiveness are beautifully handled throughout, and believable, none of that too-good-to-be-true Sherlock Holmes magic. The whole concept of the steerswomen was delightful, and that, too, was handled in a believable way – pretty tricky for such an idealized lifestyle. I loved the bit where all the steerswomen (and steersmen) gave us some insight about how The characters: Well-drawn. Rowan, Bel, and Willam are all quite appealing in their different ways. Rowan’s observation skills and general perceptiveness are beautifully handled throughout, and believable, none of that too-good-to-be-true Sherlock Holmes magic. The whole concept of the steerswomen was delightful, and that, too, was handled in a believable way – pretty tricky for such an idealized lifestyle. I loved the bit where all the steerswomen (and steersmen) gave us some insight about how they look at the world while everyone worked on coming up with a disguise for Rowan. Look at this woman: what story would you believe about her?

I’m not always a fan of the barbarian swordsman type – in this case swordswoman – but I enjoyed Bel and the way her casual attitude toward killing people merged seamlessly with the her general good cheer. And she’s a good foil for Rowan, as her general ignorance of the mainstream culture provides a useful way to seamlessly explain important details.

And I admit to being particularly charmed by Will. There’s something about his fourteen-year-old earnest goodheartedness combined with a natural bent toward figuring things out. Which leads me to . . .

The scientific method in fantasy! Whoa, that’s so different! But here’s Will, changing just one thing at a time as he figures out how to make really quite powerful explosives. Go, Will! He would get along *so well* with Tehre from The Land of Burning Sands, wouldn’t he? Shoot, the two of them together would probably develop quite a theory of natural science, possibly before Will was old enough to shave.

Will might be thinking of his explosives as magic, but his attitude is all science. I was sure we would get a chance to see him use his “charms” sometime in the book, and wow, did we ever. Boom! No wonder he developed such careful methods of handling his pack. And of course Will’s explosives have to raise the question of what exactly magic *is* in this world – is it *all* science, really? It’s hard to see those little fire dragon things as anything based on science, so maybe there’s real magic as well as interesting secret technology and undiscovered science? I look forward to finding out.

We get a lot more of the science and – even better – the scientific mindset from Rowan. I loved her carefully drawing precise graphs as she figured out that in theory it might be possible to throw something so hard it would never fall back to earth! Wow. Next thing you know she’ll take over from Isaac Newton, describe the laws of planetary motion, and invent Calculus.

The world: So, about those laws of planetary motion . . . I wonder what happened to the moon? No moon! It disappeared ages ago. What a great detail to work so casually into conversation. Also, if you’d read this book, did you notice that stuff about green grass as opposed to red grass and black grass – and special goats that can eat the inedible kinds of grass, thus making life possible in marginal regions? It’s so cool the way the habitable zone is obviously creeping outward, as essentially terraforming must be happening around the edges of settled land. None of this is explicitly described or explained, but it’s obvious if you’re paying attention.

Really, this is an excellent book for looking at how to integrate worldbuilding and backstory without ever resorting to an infodump. Honestly, an infodumpy prologue would just ruin this book completely. Instead Kirstein does an outstanding job of setting her story in a coherent world without ever explaining much at all, leaving it to the reader to try to figure out — rationally! — the mysteries of the world. Very nice job here, and so many hooks planted for the future. What could the guidestars actually be, and what is their actual purpose? What in the world is the wizards’ power actually based on, what are they doing, what’s the scary senior wizard up to? What’s up with this obviously quite hostile environment beyond the settled area? Lots of questions.

The plotting: Well put together. Seldom truly unpredictable . . . I mean, come on, like we weren’t going to see Will’s explosives used, right? But if the broad plot is predictable, the details are much less so. Plus the actual storytelling makes it a real pleasure to see how Kirstein works all those details out.

The upshot: Yeah, I grabbed the three sequels immediately. ...more

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Apr 14, 2018 Mike rated it really liked it

This was very interesting. I've always said that sci-fi and fantasy are a spectrum, rather than different genres. I've read hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi. I've read fantasy disguised as sci-fi (Star Wars with its space wizards), sci-fi disguised as fantasy (Pern with its genetically engineer dragons), and works that are squarely in the middle (Dune).

But this is the first book I've read that's not only sci-fi, but diamond-hard sci-fi, and so thoroughly disguised as a fantasy story it took me half t ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Nicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, speculative-fiction

The Steerswoman is the first book of a series, focusing on the explorations of a steerswoman. The steerswomen seek after knowledge wherever they go: learning about local customs, drawing maps, and passing on their knowledge. If a steerswoman asks you a question, you must answer; if you do not, they will place you under a ban, and no steerswoman will ever answer your questions again. Rowan has been a steerswoman long enough that it's baked into her through and through, and she loves her work -- e ...more

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Dec 27, 2020 Mareike rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-tbr, fantasy

This was a solid 4 star read until the last few chapters, which definitely kicked my rating up to the full 5 stars.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the characters in this novel. (view spoiler)

The plot was very well done, with good pacing that moved smoothly and never felt too hurried. And Kirstein masterfully revealed more a ...more

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Nov 07, 2020 Jack rated it really liked it

Initially I was going to give this 3/5. It was very slow to start, hadn't quite caught my attention by 50% and I didn't love the style. I knew there was going to be some sort of twist though, so I kept reading. By the end, what revelations we had been given was enough for me to give it a 3.5/5, but not quite enough for me to round up, hence the final rating not changing. I'm kinda curious to see where this goes, but considering my backlog it'll be a long while before book two pops up I feel. ...more

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Mar 18, 2017 Satya Prateek rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a fantastic book. It's not epic fantasy in any way - there are no prophesies or end of the world scenarios. What it is though is a compelling mystery/adventure of a scholar and her travelling companion. Rowan the protagonist is smart, honorable, a rationalist and gets some wonderful character development that explains how she became a steerswoman. The plot itself wraps up nicely while still leaving a lot of mysteries to explore in the future books. ...more

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Feb 27, 2014 David rated it liked it

I read this because it was recommended, by an author I respect, as one of the classics of fantasy writing. Ugh. Blessedly short at 264 pages.

I think this book is what happens when an author is overly concerned with character development. The reader learns every detail of the personalities of the main characters, and meanwhile: "Will something please happen?" Plot movement? - not so much.

Worldbuilding?- not so much. The same lead character who (in an age with medieval technology) is working out t ...more

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Jan 14, 2017 Dearbhla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sff, us-author, female-author

This was such an enjoyable read. Rowan, the main character, is entertaining, engaging, and believable. She is the Steerswoman of the title, and her curiosity is piqued when she encounters blue jewels unlike any others she has come across in a variety of places. She wonders where they came from, and how the came to be so scattered across the world. She can't quite work it out, but as she investigates she realises that someone really doesn't want her to know.

And knowledge, the gaining and the shar

...more

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May 24, 2014 Anna Livingston rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It's solidly written, and a swords-and-(sort of ...) sorcery book with two intelligent female protagonists teaming up to investigate a mystery? Sign me up, please. Rowan's logical mind and Bel's skills as a warrior complement each other perfectly, and what could have been an ordinary relationship in which the educated woman continually (and tediously) imparts wisdom to the barbarian is in fact a relationship of equals, with the two women learning from each ot ...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Jenne rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf

So this was pretty awesome.
Steerswomen, apparently, are kind of like traveling librarians. They know about all kinds of things (especially maps, which I guess is where the steering comes in).

They are sworn to answer truthfully any question they are asked, EXCEPT that you also have to answer their questions! And if you refuse, NO STEERSWOMAN WILL EVER ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AGAIN.

Oh, and also there are wizards, who(we know, but the people in the book don't) are not really magical people but they j ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Emily rated it it was ok

Shelves: a-own-it, fantasy

I don't understand all the great reviews this book has. I found it to be really slow and boring. Plus the whole concept of a steerswoman makes no sense logically. Their deal is that they will answer any question they know the answer to, but if they catch you lying they will blacklist you and no steerswoman will ever answer a question for them again. Which is ridiculous - how is that going to be enforced? All a person would have to do is just get a friend to ask for you, assuming the next steersw ...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Stephanie rated it it was ok

Shelves: space

This entire book is one long passage of disbelief, or perhaps rather a passage of ignorance. In either case, the facts become obvious to the reader in short order, and we have to wade through a tedious travelogue while waiting for the protagonist to figure it out. ...more

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Mar 02, 2017 Tim S rated it really liked it

This was really intriguing. A society of female scientists in a fantasy setting is a brilliant premise, and the writing was brisk and straightforward. Elements of it had a very 'sword and sorcery' feel to it, but the ending promised a more epic scope going forward. I definitely want to check out the other books in this series. ...more

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Dec 05, 2016 Ysabet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sff, inmycollection, inmycollection-fiction, booksreadin2016

I'm actually reading The Steerswoman's Road, which contains both this and The Outskirter's Secret, but dammit, I'm getting Goodreads to count it as the two books it rightly is. ...more

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May 15, 2018 Res rated it really liked it

Shelves: sff

The one where Rowan finds a gem, takes a journey, meets some wizards, and begins to discover that she may be wrong in thinking she lives in a fantasy universe.

The first scene is very slow; I spent the entire scene quite certain that I'd be tossing the book when I'd read my fifty pages. But once things start moving, they move along at a pace that feels right, and the way the story captures what it feels like to learn -- to put together partial information and begin to build on it -- is thrilling The one where Rowan finds a gem, takes a journey, meets some wizards, and begins to discover that she may be wrong in thinking she lives in a fantasy universe.

The first scene is very slow; I spent the entire scene quite certain that I'd be tossing the book when I'd read my fifty pages. But once things start moving, they move along at a pace that feels right, and the way the story captures what it feels like to learn -- to put together partial information and begin to build on it -- is thrilling.

One of the things I like about this book is that it's realistic about things like how long it takes to walk that far, whether a person who could walk away with those injuries would die, what maps look like in a world with no printing presses, how messages are passed on (or not passed on) in a world with no postal service, etc.

The worldbuilding is also nice in describing things that we've all seen on film but that the characters have no experience of -- what does an explosion look like to you if you've never seen one either live or in the movies?

Because of Rowan's training, she's a bit of a Sherlock Holmes -- she can predict where an interior door is going to be, interpret landscapes in detail, know exactly when to expect the sun to set, etc. One way the author keeps this from becoming annoying is to have her do it all the time and not just when the plot requires it.

It's not a terribly violent book, but what violence there is is realistic; it's not like seeing someone killed with a sword on television but like seeing someone killed with a sword in the coffee room at work.

There's a torture scene a little past the halfway point that's emotionally lowkey but quite brutal -- it's not explicit, but it tells you more than enough to imagine more than enough. I have mixed feelings about it, because it's necessary not only for plot but also for characterization, but I have a squick, and I'm honestly not sure I would have started the book if I had understood that this was waiting for me. If there are more like this in Book 2, I may abandon the series. ...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Nicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The Steerswoman is an interesting novel with a fantasy feel, but some hints that it might be more of a science fiction universe — especially if you see the original cover of the second book. In this book, the hints are subtle but do begin to build up, and even if you jump ahead in your guesses, it’s strangely satisfying to watch the eponymous steerswoman, Rowan, get stuck into the problem.

That’s probably starting at the wrong end, so here’s the intro: The Steerswoman is a fascinating novel which The Steerswoman is an interesting novel with a fantasy feel, but some hints that it might be more of a science fiction universe — especially if you see the original cover of the second book. In this book, the hints are subtle but do begin to build up, and even if you jump ahead in your guesses, it’s strangely satisfying to watch the eponymous steerswoman, Rowan, get stuck into the problem.

That’s probably starting at the wrong end, so here’s the intro: The Steerswoman is a fascinating novel which follows a character called Rowan as she investigates the world around her. She’s a steerswoman, a group of people who investigate the world around them by asking questions, making observations, and eventually forming theories. If a steerswoman asks you a question and you don’t answer, no steerswoman will ever answer you again. This can be quite a big moral dilemma and it produces some interesting conflicts.

Alongside Rowan is a female warrior from the Outskirts of their world, Bel. She’s got a different and refreshing view on it, and she and Rowan are both clever and capable in their own ways. You’d think they make a bit of an odd couple (so to speak), but actually they work together pretty well. There’s also a third member of their little band, later on, a boy called Willam, who despite being common-born, knows some of the tricks that only wizards are supposed to know…

The whole point of this novel is discovery, questioning, and whether any limits on knowledge should be accepted — and indeed, whether perhaps there might be a reason for keeping some secrets hidden. It doesn’t feel like a conventional fantasy novel — in fact, Rowan is a scientist, a logician, a mathematician — though it ultimately seems to sit in that genre. I enjoyed it a lot, and look forward to reading more. The pace is a little slow, and I hear it doesn’t much speed up, but the individual arc of the book has been solved so that it doesn’t feel like a cliffhanger.

Oh, and it’s casually queer — there are a pair of wizards, brother and sister. It turns out they both love the same woman. It’s a casual detail, but it’s nice to find such casual details sometimes.

Originally posted here. ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 Mike Finn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction-series, 1-in-a-series, speculative-fiction, kindle

I love it when you pick up a book with neutral expectations and within a single chapter, find yourself looking for extra reading time in the day so that you can stay in the flow of the story.

"The Steerswoman" gave that to me on the morning I opened it. It was an intriguing blend of the familiar (sword and sorcery setting with a hint of a high tech past, a search for a kind of gem that may not be a gem, a coaching inn filled with pilgrims, red-coated soldiers in service to a mage and a band of b ...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Lee rated it really liked it

Very satisfying mix of science fiction and fantasy. STRONG female characters who are exceptionally capable are a real plus. Quick easy read, a page turner. Just what is needed in these trying days in which the actual real news is a truly frightening horror show - an escapist reprieve.

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Mar 13, 2015 Renay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016

What a delightful, comforting little book! :D

EVEN MORE THOUGHTS: http://ladybusiness.dreamwidth.org/20... ...more

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Apr 06, 2020 Phil rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy

This was something of a surprise as I have had this book in my shelves for ages; if I knew how good it was I would have read it much sooner! Rowan, our main protagonist, is a steerswoman, which is something like a Druid. She travels the world collecting and passing on knowledge, freely answering any question about anything as long as she can ask questions back. Along in her travels, she finds a strange jewel and tries to find out more about it; this is where the book begins. The world is quasife ...more

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Jan 17, 2017 Swuun rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wanted to like this more than I did? There were some things about it I loved - mainly the concept of Steerswomen! - but it just never sat right with me.

Spoilers for specific dislikes:

The world-building was such an interesting concept and written in such a way as to drive me up the wall. Having so much more insight into the world than the (very intelligent, very observant) main character was weirdly frustrating? Like - it took half a chapter for me to get that William had basically invented gu I wanted to like this more than I did? There were some things about it I loved - mainly the concept of Steerswomen! - but it just never sat right with me.

Spoilers for specific dislikes:

The world-building was such an interesting concept and written in such a way as to drive me up the wall. Having so much more insight into the world than the (very intelligent, very observant) main character was weirdly frustrating? Like - it took half a chapter for me to get that William had basically invented gunpowder or a variety thereof. So there was absolutely no point in the ongoing suspense/mystery of what his powers were, and the reveals came far too slowly to be very satisfying. Same with Guidestars = satellites in geostationary orbit and electricity (and gum soles protecting sailors and steerswomen from it).

I do like me a post-apocalyptic world presented as fantasy, normally, and the high fantasy elements like wizards and dragons was a fun take on it. And I would be curious to see more of what Rowan learns of her world (our world?), but only if the pacing didn't drag so terribly.

Another major issue I had was the random murder and torture because - um. It's not that I can't like protagonists who turn to murder or torture but Rowan is introduced as such an adventurer-scholar that I expected her to be maybe a little not okay with murder? But no - she has qualms for a bit about torture, but none whatsoever about the death of a 10-year old child, the (off-screen and completely random?) murder of a poor woman kept as a pet by the wizards, and most if not all the people drafted into serving said wizards in an explosion caused by a 14-year old. It seemed so incredibly callous to me that I was completely turned off - in fact, I feel the character I emphasize the most with was the sailor Rowan slept with in the beginning, who ended up nearly suicidal with guilt because the previously mentioned death of the 10-year old. The fact that Rowan seems to be completely confused by his reaction really should have made me adjust my expectations, but... yeah.

There's something about the one-off characters in this book being so incredibly expendable that makes me disconnect at an emotional level - everyone except the main cast are just NPCs; their lives don't matter. (But sometimes they're described in great detail, which slows the pacing of the actual story down?) And I'm overly empathetic and so struggle to connect with someone who seems to casually regard all strangers as expendable. ...more

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Jul 14, 2017 Katherine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I've never read a story quite like this one. This is a world largely free of patriarchal and gender expectations, where roles are filled by both men and women. And the steerswomen build their work and their philosophy on the free and open exchange of information.

So conversations in this story don't go the way you think they will. Confrontations play out differently. And for once, we have a novel in which the female protagonist is not threatened with sexual violence. Imagine a book with a female ...more

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SciFi and Fantasy...: Series: Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein	187	107	12 hours, 28 min ago
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. fantasy (turns out to involve scifi) where certain people can ask and answer questions... [s]	6	562	Nov 11, 2018 09:15PM
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About Rosemary Kirstein

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Other books in the series

The Steerswoman (4 books)

Books by Rosemary Kirstein

The Lost Steersman (The Steerswoman, #3)

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Quotes from The Steerswoman

“I don't necessarily respect other people's religions, or any religion. But the people—I respect them, and I give them the honor they deserve, whatever they believe.” — 5 likes

“The change, she knew, was only in herself; she was relieved of deception, and her mind was free to work on its familiar paths. She recognized for the first time that lies worked damage in two directions.” — 4 likes

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