The Mapmaker's War

December 10, 2012
Domingue (The Mercy of Thin Air) spices up a threadbare fantasy plot with well-timed twists and a unique second-person narrator. In an ancient unnamed kingdom, Aoife is a young female mapmaker in favor with the king and his son, Wyl. Tasked with charting unknown lands, Aoife discovers a kingdom of peace and prosperity—and rumors of great treasure. Wyl is commissioned to bring back proof of the dragon who supposedly guards the treasure. Unbeknownst to Wyl, Aoife follows. Together they find the treasure and consummate their love. Aoife returns pregnant and betrothed to Wyl, but news of the treasure overshadows their scandalous engagement. When Wyl is later crowned king, his greedy brother brings the two kingdoms to the brink of war. Aoife attempts to warn the other kingdom, but is found out and exiled without her daughter. With no alternative, she goes to live with the Guardians. Tormented by the thought she’s to blame for everything, Aoife attempts to start anew, searching for peace and her place in the world. Although the second-person voice takes some time getting used to, this is a fun read for fantasy lovers. Agent: Jillian Manus, Manus & Associates.

April 15, 2013

A headstrong, heart-strong young woman takes a long, convoluted hero's journey in Domingue's second novel (after The Mercy of Thin Air). As a girl living in a faraway realm, Aoife knows two things: that she has a talent for making maps and that she is an adventurer who will not allow her life to be constrained by the bonds of marriage and family. Her close relationship with the king's son, Prince Wyl, allows her the freedom she desires, yet she ventures too far and jeopardizes the lives of others along the way. Aoife claims to love those around her, but their welfare seems to mean little to her. Is her quest meant to carry out some critical historical purpose, or is it simply an exercise in self-interest? VERDICT This mythic allegory functions as Aoife's autobiography as told to herself (it is addressed in the second person throughout)--perhaps from beyond the grave. Just as Aoife takes her ideas of freedom to the edge, Domingue takes risks with an unusual narrative style and a main character who is somewhat difficult to embrace. Avid readers of heroic fantasy may be the primary audience here. [See Prepub Alert, 10/1/12.]--Susanne Wells, Indianapolis, IN

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2012
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 (The Mercy of Thin Air, 2005) entwines genres to cast a spell upon its reader. In a faraway realm, a king is eager to know the lay of the land. Our heroine, Aoife, yearning to be free of the restrictions set on women and manipulating Prince Wyl's affection for her, secures training as a mapmaker. Charged with mapping domains beyond the kingdom's borders, Aoife discovers a remarkable Utopia. With streets paved in gold and rumors of a treasure guarded by a dragon, these people live peaceably. Aoife instinctively tries to protect them by revealing little when she returns home, but the truth comes out. Soon, Wyl's cruel and covetous brother, Raef, plots to conquer the peaceable community and gain their treasures. Forced into exile, Aoife must leave Wyl and their children. She seeks shelter within the Utopia, where she finds kindness, compassion and even love. Domingue's tale is filled with the fantastical and magical, including Voices, women of the Utopian society who intuitively understand all languages and experience all memories. Guilt-stricken for having brought war upon the community, however, Aoife will not find peace within herself until she confesses the whole of her past to a witness. A warrior once renowned for never having deliberately killed, Leit returns to the peaceful community scarred physically and emotionally. In bearing witness to each other, Aoife and Leit find a measure of tranquility. Told in the second person (which reads awkwardly at times), the novel forces the reader into the role of witness, too, as Aoife recounts her life with frequent admonitions to "tell the truth." A curious, thought-provoking story about how the heart's terrain bears charting, too.

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March 1, 2013
Domingue's second novel, following her well-received The Mercy of Thin Air (2006), is an intriguing fantasy set in an ancient land. Aoife, a precocious 12-year-old, is apprenticed to her kingdom's aging mapmaker; four years later she is dispatched by the king to map his entire realm. On her travels she finds a nearby kingdom where, inexplicably, she feels surrounded by peace, free of the rancor and competitiveness she left behind. When her discovery becomes known, the king plans an invasion. Aoife, now married to the king's son, tries to slip away to warn their neighbors, but she is imprisoned and her twins are taken from her. Eventually she escapes and lives in exile with the welcoming inhabitants of the land she discovered, who take her in like a foundling child. 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)