The Mapmaker's War

Reviews / Votes

"Journey to the heart of a fairy-tale land with doomed queens, epic quests, and enemy kingdoms in The Mapmaker's War. Ronlyn Domingue's jewel of a book has a big canvas, memorable characters, and intimate storytelling. You will be swept away by this otherworldly tale that charts the all-too-human territory between heartbreak and hope." -- Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night "A map can make sense out of the seen world. But it can also evoke greed. And what of a map of the heart? Legend, allegory, fantasy-this second novel by Domingue entwines genres to cast a spell upon its reader.... A curious, thought-provoking story about how the heart's terrain bears charting, too." * Kirkus Reviews * "Beautifully capturing the tone and voice of a classically told tale, Ronlyn Domingue crafts a deeply intelligent, richly enhanced tale of magic, power, greed, and the infinite resilience of the human heart." * New York Journal of Books * "The book is reminiscent of some Edwardian novels in its emphasis on class and women's issues. Its mysticism and naturalism also recall the classic Green Mansions, published during that period. If you give Domingue's book a chance, it'll entrance you." * The Advocate * "Domingue follows up this success with The Mapmaker's War, another bold and innovative tale of a woman fighting for her place, told by second-person narrative." * Monroe News Star * "A fun read for fantasy lovers." * Publishers Weekly * "Domingue deftly explores themes of motherhood, gender equality, and the powerful ties that bind us to our roots, while at the same time mesmerizing the reader with the story of a mythical land struggling to protect itself from the greed and jealousy of the slowly encroaching outside world." * Booklist * "What a stunning, original book this is-restrained and sensual, cerebral and lush, always blazingly intelligent, epic and expansive, yet filled with the most precisely and lovingly observed details. This is one of the best books I've read in years. Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's best work and yet wholly its own, The Mapmaker's War evokes one of its heroine's fantastic, world-defining maps: giving lines to human landscapes as old as myth, seemingly for the first time. You won't be able to put this book down, and it will take you somewhere you've never been, leaving you transformed." -- Carolyn Turgeon, author of Mermaid and The Fairest of Them All "The Mapmaker's War is an extraordinary tale of a woman's courage in an ancient Utopian world. Domingue has taken on the herculean task of inventing a new legend, and the result is a remarkable novel at once absorbing and heart wrenching, but above all mesmerizing!" -- M.J. Rose, internationally bestselling author of Seduction "The Mapmaker's War evokes not mere fantasy, but the real magic I found as a child, reading by flashlight under a blanket. As then, the story takes me by the hand to exotic lands and noble people. As it proceeds, I'm reminded of myself as a teen-age girl, chafing under the restrictions of an established order. Further on, I'm lead into adulthood. The story keeps me under its spell, but it fills with adult contradictions, with experiences of betrayal and regret, with sex and self-knowledge, with the reality of evil, and all the while, yes, the same old magic. But the magic has matured, now, redeemed by love and wisdom." -- Ava Leavell Haymon, author of Why the House Is Made of Gingerbread: Poems, Winner of the MIAL 2011 Prize for Poetry "With an original voice, Ronlyn Domingue takes us into a land of strange truths and raw beauty. Writing against contemporary norms, she dares to forge into new territory even as she takes us into an ancient world. To the place of a red dragon and warm desire. A world full of love, and hate, and recompense. Domingue has a rare eye for the honest word and a heart willing to travel where the story leads. The Mapmaker's War offers us the chance to reflect on both our sins and saving graces and to believe in the possibility of a future that holds kindness and understanding as key. This novel is a celebration of brave women and men, of expansive vision, and ultimately, of a humanity not easily denied." -- River Jordan, nationally bestselling author of Praying for Strangers and The Miracle of Mercy Land