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Book 91
Short fantasy novel using the siege of Jericho by Joshua and the Israelites as its setting. But since this is a fantasy novel, Rahab is an ugly changeling, exchanged one night for the young brother of the Cretan exile Bard. Bard recognises that Rahab had no say in the matter, and loves her as a sister -- even when she emerges from her ugly form a year later to be revealed as a beautiful woman with butterfly wings. When Rahab disappears, Bard goes looking for her, knowing that she has probably been taken back to wherever she came from. The plot is driven by who exchanged Rahab for a human hostage, and why. There's some wonderful world-building in this book, and a page-turning story. It's all told in tight, compact prose that's a joy to read. It was the first book of Swann's I read, and I've loved it since I bought my copy some thirty years ago.
Librarything entry
Short fantasy novel using the siege of Jericho by Joshua and the Israelites as its setting. But since this is a fantasy novel, Rahab is an ugly changeling, exchanged one night for the young brother of the Cretan exile Bard. Bard recognises that Rahab had no say in the matter, and loves her as a sister -- even when she emerges from her ugly form a year later to be revealed as a beautiful woman with butterfly wings. When Rahab disappears, Bard goes looking for her, knowing that she has probably been taken back to wherever she came from. The plot is driven by who exchanged Rahab for a human hostage, and why. There's some wonderful world-building in this book, and a page-turning story. It's all told in tight, compact prose that's a joy to read. It was the first book of Swann's I read, and I've loved it since I bought my copy some thirty years ago.
Librarything entry
