The Pyramid Waltz Paperback – September 18, 2012

I love Fantasy. I love Fantasy's ability to take us to another world, to explore familiar themes in an unfamiliar setting which would be too cumbersome or incredible to deal with in a realistic setting. And though you'll never get me to admit it in a court of law, I'm pretty much a hopeless romantic, and though Romance is not normally my genre, give me a good love story inside a Speculative Fiction trapping, and I'm set.One of the big problems with Fantasy, though, is the level of bland whitewashing in the most popular series. While diversity can be found if you dig deep enough, the stories of the Jordans, the Goodkinds, the Rothfusses and what-have-you are, at their heart, stories about straight white dudes often saving the world from other straight white dudes (or even worse, villainous brown gay people).With that in mind, Barbara Ann Wright's The Pyramid Waltz is pretty much a revelation. The two central characters, Princess Katya and Starbride, inhabit a world where same-sex love is as uncontroversial as opposite marriage, which itself is fantastic (there's a place for exploring homosexuality in an oppressive society, but sometimes it's nice to see a pair of lesbians who aren't inherently star-crossed!).Which isn't to say their relationship is all smooth sailing. Starbride, a visitor from a land some might call exotic (though don't say it to her face), has to balance her very real attraction with the expectation that she use Katya's influence to help her family. Katya, on the other hand, is the guardian of a very dark, very threatening family secret, and while she can't bear to lie to her new lover, becoming close might very well mean bringing Starbride into danger.Wright's writing possesses a sharp wit, an amazing eye for detail (her fashion description is breathtaking at times) and a keen sense of the flow of battle -- and oh, for all the focus on feelings, there is plenty of battle.If I had to make one criticism, it's that the pacing is pretty speedy near the end. The otherworldly, realm-threatening conflict that's only been hinted at in most of the book gets thrown into the open and (temporarily, I hope!) dealt with in the space of thirty pages or so. I would have liked to see stretched out a bit, but then, it's hard for me to be too critical about this, as watching Katya unravel the mystery years in the making is immensely entertaining, and the book's cliffhanger makes it clear that there's plenty more fiendish conflict to come.I should also at least mention The Pyramid Waltz's magic system. I'm not normally one to gush over innovative (i.e., complicated) magic systems in Fantasy novels; for instance, I found Sanderson's oft-praised metallurgy system in Mistborn better suited to a role-playing game than a story. But I did very much enjoy Waltz's creation of a relic-based paradigm. Magic is performed using pyramids, hand-held objects created by master craftsmen known as pyradistés. I thought the subtle comparison, intentional or not, between artisan jewelers and the magicians added a lot of depth to the system, instead of making it feel tacked on.I had a great time reading The Pyramid Waltz, and I would absolutely recommend it to any fan of Fantasy or Romance who isn't afraid of shrivelling up from cooties because our lead isn't a shaggy-haired, muscly boy destined to become a Chosen One. I, for one, think a pair of women finding love in spite of the dark events enveloping them is far more interesting.

I read many genres of books, but fantasy has been and always will be my favourite. I've lost countless hours to Jordan, Tolkien, Goodkind, Eddings, Erikson and others. So on that basis, I was very surprised by this book. It managed to mostly combine romance and fantasy smoothly, with only a few bumps here and there. The magic system of using pyramids is something definitely new, almost like allomancy in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn saga. Although this novel doesn't go into major depth about the pyramids etc, I'm hoping that the sequel(s) will do so. Done right, this is a new fantasy world with a lot of potential in it.The main characters, Katya and Starbride, make a wonderful pair. It's very refreshing to see lesbians in the lead, yet without the usual "it was destiny!" type of feel. They meet, become friends and then fall in love, just like normal people do, and not the fairly usual unrealistic type of romance in fantasy novels. It's also exceptionally refreshing to see that their romance can not only bloom, but be encouraged by all their friends and Katya's family. Although it seems almost trivial, a world where love is expressed as is, regardless of gender, is an achievement. About the only other novels I've read that have the same sort of openness is the Kushiel series, but that's an entirely different type of world. For what it's worth, the romance is romantic and suggestive, yet without being over the top steamy and descriptive. I think it's the right balance for the world that has been created here. I don't think it would be harmful if there was a little more heat and suggestion, but it should never reach the level where it ruins the story.On an individual level, all the characters we interact with are pretty well fleshed out. Katya is rather funny, and in a way reminds me of Mat of Wheel of Time, or Leliana of Dragon Age, back in her earlier bardic days. Heart of gold and on the side of good, but not above throwing off some awesome snarky comments. Starbride is one of those cheerful bubbly people who always seem to be around. Reminds me quite a bit of the younger Willow in Buffy to be honest. Brutal, Maia, Crowe and the others are also interesting characters, with many stories untold I hope. A special note must be made of Katya's dad, who one could say is almost slightly mad-cap.About the only down points I can think of is that the story is a bit short (probably due to my love of fantasy novels that run to 700+ pages,) the ending is a bit rushed, and that the world needs more fleshing out. Hopefully these can be done in the sequel, and take a great story to even higher heights. I recommend this to any fantasy fan who is looking for something new and interesting, spiced with an original and lovely romance. Definitely something to keep an eye on for the future. I know I'll be buying the follow up next year for sure. I believe it is expected in May sometime.

I can enthusiastically recommend for any fantasy lovers.I've loved the fantasy genre since childhood and never tire of reading it even when it sometimes seems that many fantasy plots are interchangeable. It's so refreshing when I get to read something that I don't feel like I've read at least a dozen times before. Yes there is magic in The Pyramid Waltz, yes there is swordplay, yes the world has a royal family and fighters and a secret order of people fighting for the crown - and yet many parts of the book read as wholly unique for me.If asked to compare it to another author or series, I'd probably say it reminds me most of one one of my favorite fantasy novels - The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey. The storyline here is new - a mix of court intrigue, supernatural thriller, and a lesbian romance to round out the story of the lead characters of Katya and Starbride. Katya is a rakish princess keeping up appearances at court lest the nobles know what her real secrets. Starbride is the fish out of water new to the palace but wise beyond her years - determined to use her time at court to her advantage instead of merely hunting a spouse as her mother hopes she will. Sparks fly when they meet and it's going to take both of them and a motley group of allies to save the kingdom.It's a mark of a good author that I care as much about the secondary characters as I do about the leads and there are plenty of great characters to choose from in this book: a fighter who learns about life through pain; a man who keeps his identity a secret from all but his closest confidents; a young courtier swept up in the palace intrigue. Not to mention the fiendish villain.The Pyramid Waltz is a page turner that I read in one sitting. I've already ordered and read the second book and can't wait for the next one.

3.75 rounded up to 4. For a start, it's a bit weird reading a fantasy book where the main character as the same name as you, even if the spelling is slightly different. But that aside, this was an adventure of a read. I loved Katya and Starbride as characters, especially when they interacted, their banter was amusing.I thought the start of the book was a little chaotic, almost as if the author was trying to shove too much information with too many characters into an action scene. The writing did settle down after this and I settled into a steady reading rhythm.I enjoyed the world building. This is the start of a series, so we are not given all the information at once, only what we need to see us through this particular part of the story. Still, we learn the essentials about the political structure of the world, its magic system, and the reasons behind it.As far as plot goes, this was a romance entwined with court intrigue and a shady rebellion, with Katya set the task of tracking down a hidden traitor set to disrupt the balance of power, bring down the monarchy and unleash Fiendish hell. There are a couple of deflections the reader must contend with, but by about two thirds of the way through, I pretty much knew who the plant was and wondered why the characters, who had the same information I did, could not put two and two together. So that was a little disappointing and it frustrated me. I had to force myself to not skim ahead to when they finally realised who they were looking for, and spent some time calling the characters blind. Still, I suppose it shows I was fully engaged as a reader if I could shout at a book trying to tell the characters what to do.Again, at the climax, I thought the writing was a little chaotic. Lots of characters doing lots of things really fast at the same time. I had to read back once as I had misinterpreted something at the start of the scene that I needed to know for the rest to make sense (I thought Katya had had her necklace removed, but she had only watch as her family had theirs removed).Overall, this was a rollicking read. I thought Katya made a great rake, but was also vulnerable and not too afraid to trust - considering the plot, she could have retreated into herself and pushed Starbride away, but she did not. Starbride often seemed wise beyond her years, but with Dawnmother as her counsel, this is not surprising. We do still get the odd bit of petulant childishness coming through, both in Starbride, and in Katya - despite, or perhaps because of her heavy burdens. As a couple, they were an excellent match, sparking off each other in a variety of ways.The secondary characters with the exception of Maia and Lord Hugo worked well. I didn't think we'd been given enough of a build up as a reader to warrant Maia's behaviour. It felt like it was suddenly thrust upon us and needed a little more foreshadowing to be truly believable. Lord Hugo was just blatantly transparent to the reader and stuck out like a sore thumb as a something-is-not-quite-right-here character.So, a good, adventurous read with lots of thinking material. I'm looking forward to tackling the next couple of book in the series in November.

This is an entertaining lesbian romance in a fantasy setting, and does justice to both genres. The structure of the novel is very typical of romance, and the main characters are very archetypal. Chapters alternate between the two romantic leads, with Starbride as the innocent heroine thrust into the dangerous and dynamic world of Princess Katya, the dashing hero. Katya is no innocent, and is as skilled in a fight as she is at seducing young ladies. Starbride, of course, is special in many ways, and captures Katya's heart as swiftly as her own is captured. In other words, it's a standard boilerplate romance, and comfortably predictable.In The Pyramid Waltz, however, the setting is not simply a pretext for the romance. The fantasy world has been constructed with care, with many well developed and intriguing characters and themes. Clearly the story is written to be the first of many parts, and I'm sure I will be reading on. If I have a complaint, it's that chapters could have been devoted to other characters to give even greater depth to the story, and take it more into fantasy genre without sacrificing the main romance arc. Also, forcing the alternation between the two principal characters imposes constraints on the plot, which does become apparent at times.All in all, an enjoyable read, and I particularly like the creation of a world where a princess has an open reputation as a seducer of ladies. I laughed when her brother says, `Still not wearing dresses, eh?' and Katya replies, `I was just about to ask you the same thing.'

For me this book fits nicely into the Epic Fantasy genre which I love so much.First the cons and you might ask how can it have any if I've given the book 5 stars:The book started a little weakly and contrived when we meet the swashbuckling Princess who just happens to lead a secret order sworn to protect the Royal Family. I nearly gave up right there as I thought the first chapter was quite weak.The Pros: Something kept me reading and I'm so glad I did. Ms Wright has built a well thought out and crafted land complete with different races and a very interesting and original magic system.We are also swiftly given a much deeper insight into Princess Katya and she changes from a 1 dimensional cheesy character into a well fleshed out character. We also meet Starbride who fortunately is immediately presented as an interesting character and we then enjoy the budding romance alongside an exciting and enthralling storyline of assassins, fiends and magic. Add to this some backstabbing politics, race relations and economics and it just shows how much thought Ms Wright has put into her world.I can't wait to read the next in the series :)

I love scifi and fantasy books and am always on the lookout for a good read. This book was good without being heavy.We have a princess with a secret identity, searching out traitors and threats to her fathers throne, a courtier who wishes to help her own people. Yes they meet, yes they fall in love and yes they have some adventures along the way. This is worth a look.

Let's face it, there aren't a lot of lesbian fiction books out there so after a while you're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel. The Pyramid Waltz is a sweet little read that won't change your life but might kill a few hours nicely. I enjoyed it.