A CLAN CHIEF'S DAUGHTER

In Barnes’ sequel, a teenage girl in ancient times is caught in the midst of a vicious rivalry for a tribe’s leadership.

In 4000 BCE, the Plānos tribe in the Pontic-Caspian steppe (modern-day Ukraine and southern Russia) loses its leader when Awos dies. His son, Potis, a clan chief and potential new Plānos leader, faces opposition from both another clan chief and his own cousin, who wants to oust Potis from his current position. A harsh winter has already depleted the livestock, making hunger a frightening possibility. But when raiders steal and mercilessly slaughter the remaining livestock, Potis suspects someone among his rivals has a hand in it. Meanwhile, Potis’ wife, Sata. and their 15-year-old daughter, Naya, return from the latter’s spiritual journey. During that time, Naya bonded with a red filly; she’s surprised that the clan has captured horses from the filly’s band and then horrified to learn they’re meant to be sacrificed to a god. It all stems from the general lack of animals for sacrifice, which is, in turn, another aspect of the battle for Plānos leadership. Potis wants to but can’t immediately make a move against the raiders, leading to serious tension within the clan. Does Wailos, the son of a rival of Potis’, have a genuine interest in marrying Naya, or is something else brewing? And will Naya feel obligated to marry him? Awos’ widow, Awija, is determined to help Potis and Naya, and a decidedly unhappy Sata contemplates bidding the clan, and likely her family, goodbye. Things take a crucial turn when Naya’s impending three-day vigil for her transition into adulthood finally arrives.

Barnes painstakingly develops the story’s female characters. The lives of Awija and Sata, for example, are paralleled; as Awija exerts an influence on events that most people are unaware of and Sata seemingly believes that her only choice is leaving everything behind, they’re both often at odds with men. Naya endures the worst of it, and she shows admirable strength while withstanding ruthless torment—mental and physical. The men are less interesting, ranging from static characters to interchangeable villains. This even includes Potis, who struggles to keep his clan and his family together, and Aytal, who met Naya in the previous series installment but, in this novel, is separated from her. They each face engaging difficulties that the story never fleshes out, opting instead to blame Potis, repeatedly, for troubles that he and others suffer. Still, the author masterfully clarifies the tribe’s customs and offers instances of its language, making it easy for readers to lose themselves in a narrative set millennia ago. Also, the prose paints colorful visuals, as when noting the “green flecks glinting in the firelight” in someone’s eyes and a setting sun’s “streamers of yellow and orange to accent the darkening sky.” With the exception of one significant death’s relatively minor impact, the ending is satisfying and sets the stage for the final book in a prospective trilogy.

Resolute women energize a remarkable, ongoing coming-of-age story.