I review Rhapsody: Child of Blood over on my blog. The review doesn’t really do the book justice, but I don’t want to give away plot points and twists.
“You’re the dirt of the ground Oi walk on,
You’re pond scum under my heel.
Just try disobeyin’ my orers,
Oi’ll feed ya three feet o’ black steel.
It’s a crime to despise the Sergeant,
No matter what ‘e thinks o’ you
Be sure not to spread your opinion
Or you’ll wind up for sure in the stew.
Rhapsody smiled to herself as Grunthor’s ringing bass died away below her. The Bolg Sergeant clearly missed the troops that been under his command, though he had not elaborated much about who they were, or what had happened to them. His marching cadences helped him pass the time, and gave her an interesting window into Bolg military life. More than anything, it made her appreciate that she had not yet become part of the menu.”
I read the first three in this series way back when I was at University (so probably around 2001 or so, yes) and remember really liking them. Haven’t read them since, might be time to revisit them, especially since there are three more books in the series that I never got round to reading.
You’re the first person I’ve “met” who has even heard of these books, let alone read them!
I think there are actually four more books after the third one. She just finally released The Merchant Emperor, which ends the second trilogy. I have yet to read it, but I’ve been waiting for it for years.