Masques

Ever since I read the first Mercy Thompson book, Moon Called, I knew I'd be reading everything by Patricia Briggs.  This one is a re-release of one of her very earliest books, and she was able to do some editing before it was republished, but in the introduction she says that she did her best to maintain the intent of original manuscript.

This is a fairly traditional fantasy novel, but of course, as I hoped and expected, it is character driven, with complex characters that I quickly came to care about.  The main protagonist is Aralorn, who is a master of weapons and of disguise.  She works for the kingdom's spymaster, who sends her on a mission in which she learns of an imminent threat to the kingdom's safety - only because of the nature of that threat, no one can believe her.  She and Wolf - a mysterious creature she once saved from a pit trap - work together to neutralize the threat, but they are grievously outnumbered.

This is a solid traditional fantasy novel that would appeal to fans of Mercedes Lackey and Robin Hobb.  I read When Demons Walk, the fourth book in this series, a few years ago, not realizing that it was part of a series.  It is set in the same world, but features completely different characters, so I don't feel I missed out on anything by reading it out of order.  I particularly enjoyed the introduction, in which Briggs discusses her writing in general as well as the experience of reworking this early novel.

Books in the Sianim series:
1. Masques
2. Wolfsbane
3. Steal the Dragon 
4. When Demons Walk

Masques (#1 in the Sianim series) by Patricia Briggs (Ace, 1993; revised 2000)

Reviews of other books by Patricia Briggs:

Blood Bound

Bone Crossed

Cry Wolf

Hunting Ground

Iron Kissed

Moon Called

Raven's Shadow

River Marked

Silver Borne

The Hob's Bargain

Also reviewed at:
Janicu's Book Blog:  "It reminds me of books about female heroines having adventures written by Robin McKinley and Mercedes Lackey that I read in my teens and still hold a fondness for today."
The Written World:  "A lot of the foundations of her later work were there - strong heroine, romantic tension without being overtly romantic, interesting and memorable supporting characters and a story with a clear ending that also leaves an opening for future adventures."