From Publishers Weekly
Vanar, newcomer Wood's intricately imagined closed matriarchal world where men have no legal rights, dominates this far-future exploration of gender, linguistics, justice, greed and malice. Vanar's nine High Families control all intersystem travel between 300 Hengeli-settled worlds through their mysterious female-only Pilots. Marooned after attempting to steal botanical specimens from Vanar, Hengeli Nathan Crewe finds himself totally at the mercy of Yaenida, ancient matriarch of the Nga'esha clan, perhaps the most powerful woman in the known worlds. As he agonizes with Vanar's ferociously difficult language and its alien culture (the individual's welfare always loses to the good of the community), Crewe is caught in a power struggle between the Nga'esha and their Changriti rivals. Against all odds he maintains his identity, uncovers ancient wrongs and forces essential 4changes in Vanar's social structure, created when its original female settlers reshaped their language as they reshaped themselves. Brilliantly executed conflicts with intensely powerful characterizations and sensitive handling of controversial issues of sexuality flesh out disturbing challenges to conventional male-female relations as well as to accepted governmental structures. Like her literary ancestors Cherryh and Le Guin, Wood employs linguistic expertise to produce uncanny verisimilitude in a society that turns accepted behavioral norms inside out in a stunning bravura portrayal of human adaptability. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
In the bestselling tradition of Margaret Atwood, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Sheri S. Tepper comes a compelling novel of power and gender on a planet ruled exclusively by women. Botanist Nathan Crewe planned a smash-and-grab mission to steal samples of a rare plant found only in the remote wilderness of Vanar, ignoring the planets ban on foreigners. Instead, he was betrayed by a jealous lover and left marooned, impoverished, and friendless in a strict matriarchal world he could barely understand. After a member of an influential family takes an interest in him, he slowly adapts to their culture, but discovers an ancient malice buried deep in the history of the planet and its people, threatening him and everyone he has come to care for. And he discovers his arrival on Vanar was anything but accidental...

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Nathan Crewe planned to make his academic reputation by stealing rare plant samples from Vanar - a powerful, secretive planet that forbids all foreigners and controls all space transport. Instead, he is betrayed by a jealous lover and left marooned, impoverished, and friendless in a strict matriarchal world where men have no legal rights. Arrested and imprisoned, Nathan is rescued by the head of an influential family who takes an interest in him and teaches him the complex rules of her society. As he adapts to their culture, Nathan learns of an ancient malice buried deep in the history of this world - one that will threaten him and everyone he has come to care for. And he discovers that his arrival on Vanar was anything but accidental.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly