Mother of All

Chapter One

The windows were open to let in whatever fresh breezes they could, but the air in the royal apartments was nonetheless stifling. Having spent more than a year living in the desert, Tynthanal had thought himself inured to heat, but the climate here in Aaltah seemed far more oppressive than that of Women s Well, where the air was bone-­dry, and even in the worst heat of summer, the nights were cool. Here in Aaltah, the nearby sea added such a heavy dose of humidity that the air felt thick as porridge.

Do sit down and eat, his wife, Kailee, urged, and he reluctantly moved away from the window to join her at the table where a small supper had been laid for them.

Kailee s face glowed with perspiration, and the few locks of hair that had escaped her headdress were plastered wetly to her neck, but she seemed to accept the discomfort with her customary serenity. A serenity Tynthanal envied as he tried futilely to push up the sleeves of his doublet.

How I loathe civilian clothes, he muttered. Custom required he set aside the comfortable shirts and trousers he d worn in the military and don the doublet and breeches of a gentleman ­with all the concomitant adornment ­but he longed for the days when he could breathe inside his clothing.

Kailee smiled at him as she served herself a helping of stewed vegetables and ignored the beautifully roasted whole fish that took pride of place in the center of the table. Tynthanal frowned.

I should have asked the cook to fillet it for you, he said, shaking his head at himself. Their marriage was in its infancy, and he was still getting used to dealing with his wife s unique challenges in life. It would be no easy feat to avoid fish bones when one could not see them.

Kailee shrugged. I am used to making do. And I am not overly hungry.

Well, you don t have to make do anymore, he said as he portioned out a serving of fish, inspecting it carefully for bones before sliding it onto her plate. I think

Jenna Glass made her foray into epic fantasy with The Women's War, but she wrote her first book an autobiography when she was in the fifth grade. She began writing in earnest while in college and proceeded to collect a dizzying array of rejections for her first seventeen novels. Nevertheless, she persisted, and her eighteenth novel became her first commercial sale. Within a few years, Glass became a full-time writer, and she has never looked back. She has published more than twenty novels under various names.

Praise for The Women s War

An epic fantasy for the #MeToo era . . . It is refreshing to see women becoming heroes in a world that wishes to keep them muzzled. . . . While feminist science fiction and fantasy books have been around for decades see Octavia Butler, Ursula K. Le Guin and Anne McCaffrey tales that reflect recent feminist movements like #MeToo are an essential next step. The New York Times Book Review

The interconnected story lines, excellent pacing, and heart-wrenching ending will have readers clamoring for the next book. Booklist (starred review)

Stands out as both social commentary on contemporary issues of bodily autonomy, gender, and social power and as feminist retribution fantasy, made manifest through an appealing epic fantasy setting and grounded in a carefully designed magic system. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

I am very here for this book . . . the first in what s sure to be an incredible series. SyFyWire

A blend of the traditional Western European epic fantasy and the birth control revolution of the 1960s, The Women s War takes the reader on a journey toward revolution. . . . A fascinating and entertaining read, and a welcome addition to the world of epic fantasy. New York Journal of Books

A compulsive read, riveting characters, life-or-death stakes . . . a smashing book! Tamora Pierce

Gloriously paced, plotted, and constructed with such elegance that it ceases to feel like a story and begins to feel like the truth. Seanan McGuire

The Women s War is #MeToo and #Resistance and #ProChoice through the lens of epic fantasy. Read it. Nicola Griffith