I'm giving this book a relatively low score because this first one struck me as a rather generic Sword and Sorcery. The backdrop is faux pseudo-European. The King's Riders reminded me of Lackey's Heralds (albeit without the magical trappings) and as for the dilemma of the mystics? I can't agree with the reviewer who wrote that fantasy don't commonly tackle social intolerance, particularly paired with religious fanaticism. Such themes are common, particularly when dealing with magic users. The history of persecution of witches isn't lost on fantasy writers or readers. One reviewer, for instance, brought up Katherine Kurtz's Deryni books, which personally I think deals with the themes with more subtlety and complexity. For that matter the whole driving force of the plot of the Harry Potter deals with intolerance.
That said, I do find this a good "comfort read" that bears rereading. It has the kind of world, like Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover or McCaffrey's Pern that has me doodling its details and wanting to find out more about the 12 Houses. And it gets better. I actually started not with this book, but the fifth book, Fortune and Fate, whose description intrigued me when it came out in hardcover. I found out then that Shinn has that trait that makes me grab whatever books an author writes--she creates characters you care about and root for. Senneth, who is the protagonist of this book, among them, yes, but the other characters too. Good thing, given each book is centered around different characters. So while I wouldn't put these books in the first rank of books of high fantasy, I do recommend them as enjoyable reads. If you like this one, the others won't disappoint.
