In the city of Amberlight, the pearl-rock qherrique is their most precious commodity and the very basis of who they are. When a ravaged Outlander is left for dead in a public square the head of Telluir House is compelled to take him in and protect him. Her decision will lead to an assault on the deeply matriarchal society of Amberlight and the qherrique they've striven so hard to protect.

Tellurith isn't sure why she had the Outlander brought back to the House, only that she felt the voice of the Work-Mother compel her. The Outlander remembers nothing of who he is but the clues of his past are written across him and they scream danger, mercenary, and possibly spy. Unfortunately for him, gender roles have taken a reversal in Amberlight and men are treated as second-class citizens and playthings. As his attachment to Tellurith deepens more of his past opens up to him, including his reasons for appearing in Amberlight when he did. Tellurith can only hope that the return of his memory won't bring betrayal and the destruction of her way of life.

Amberlight is written in a very thickly-worded style; very heavy on prose dripping with deep thoughts and heady descriptions but not a lot of actual dialogue. The whole thing had a very surreal quality to it. In some places the narrative seemed to ramble on with no definable course or ending in sight and I found it a little hard to keep focused. The reader needs to also keep in mind that this is straight fantasy and it's a whole new world so it will be completely unfamiliar but that's part of the fun with a new fantasy story. I did like it. I just think the author needs to tighten things up a bit and not stray off the path for random rambles.
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Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Juno Books (December 15, 2007)
ISBN-13: 978-0809572472
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