Naondel

I just CANNOT get enough of this series!

I loved both this, and Maresi (the first in the series) in equal, yet different measure. 
More books filled to bursting with strong, awesome female characters please?!

This instalment was so much darker. 
So much heavier. 
Filled with so much more evil and malevolence. 

And I loved it!

It was such a great origin story for The Red Abbey, and I can't wait for book number three!

When I finished Maresi, Maria Turtschaninoff's first book in The Red Abbey Chronicles, I loved it so much I was ready to dive in to the second book straight away. I have patiently waited a whole year for the much anticipated prequel, Naondel, and it was most definitely worth the wait! Naondel is incredible, and even better than Maresi!

Naondel is a book written by six women, six of the seven first Sisters of The Red Abbey. Naondel chronicles how their they came into each other's lives over decades, due to one vile, deplorable, power-hungry man. As a young woman, Kariba falls for the handsome though arrogant Iskan, son of the Vizier to the Sovereign Prince. In an attempt to impress him, she shows him Anji, her family's sacred spring, and tells him how it's a spring with power; power to show you the future and the past, and how drinking from it imbues the drinker with power. As Iskan manipulates Kariba into marriage and takes control of the Spring, this one mistake changes the course of many lives. With Anji, Iskan becomes the most powerful man in Karenokoi, both politically and through what he is able to do through drinking the water. But the more power Iskan gets, the more he wants - and women are but toys to play with. Over decades he adds to his harem at his palace in Ohaddin; Garai, a captured slave he buys to be his concubine; Orseola, a dreamweaver lost at sea, seeking refuge on Iskan's ship, not knowing what awaits her; Sulani, a River warrior who defends her people when Iskan's army invades; Clarás, a prostitute at a pleasure house Iskan takes an interest in for being "disfigured"; and Iona, a young girl alone on an island. Rape and ill-treatment are all these women know once Iskan steals them away and imprisons them. But these women are brave, with strength and hope inside them, and together, they will do all they can to get themselves free.

Naondel is absolutely heartbreaking. It's not an easy read to see how abused and mistreated these women are - over decades. The book starts when Kariba is 19, but by the time the book ends, she's an old woman. Years go by between the arrival of each new girl, each a teenager when they arrive, but most growing older as they years go on. The story is taken over by each girl as they are imprisoned at Ohaddin, but the narration does jump back to previous women a few times, when there's story only they can tell.

These women are so inspiring; over years of abuse, it would be understandable if these women chose to give up, but each of them fight in their own way, whether it's holding on to who they were and their beliefs, keeping their anger alive, or rebelling secretly. I was in awe of these women as they carried on, as they formed friendships with their fellow captives, as they found joy in the small things. I felt so proud of them. That may sound ridiculous as this is a fictional story, but their experiences aren't fictional; countless women have experienced the treatment these characters do, whether it was in the past when women had fewer rights and were the property of their husband, or when people were slaves, or whether it's today, with women and girls being trafficked and groomed. The world may be made up, the magical spring and other sacred sites of the earth's life force might be fictional, but the attitudes towards and treatment of women are not. Naondel's rape scenes are not graphic, they are a sentence or two long, but that doesn't stop this from being a difficult read. These women are left with injuries. Iskan causes any woman carrying a female child to miscarry, and sons are taken away. They are degraded, violated, criticised, and treated as if they are nothing. Your heart breaks for these women, over and over again. But these women are strong, so there's always hope. At times I found myself thinking, "If only Kabira didn't tell Iskan about Anji," but if she didn't, these women would not have come together. They would not have created The Red Abbey. There would be no safe haven for women and girls to go to, to escape their own ill-treatment - because the ill-treatment doesn't end.

I don't want to say too much more; this is a book where you should get to know the characters and their stories as you read. But this is a story that teaches; it's a made up fantasy world, but there are times where you can't help but see reflections of the world we live in, and there are moments where feminist values really shine through, and you feel like you are being spoken to about the just how incredible girls and women are and what we can achieve. Maresi was a feminist story, but this one, with the women writing about their hopes for the future and The Red Abbey, it takes it a step further and talks about a woman's worth. Reading it, I felt empowered. I felt proud to be a woman, and of who I am.

Despite how horrific the events of this story is, like Maresi, Naondel is a quiet and beautifully told story. It doesn't sound like the kind of story that would be, but Naondel is enchanting and completely captivating. Turtschaninoff has such a way with words that reading her story is enjoyable despite the fact that what you're reading about is so upsetting. Naondel also has that fairy tale feel to it that Maresi had, though is perhaps less Disney and more Grimm. Naondel is storytelling at it's best, and I lapped it up. I couldn't put this book down, not only because I was desperate to know what would happen to these women I'd come to love, but also because I couldn't get enough of Turtschaninoff's writing.

One of the other things I loved about Naondel is how it has a pretty diverse cast, with these women coming from various races and cultures. Garai is described as having red-brown skin and white hair, and Orseola is described as having dark skin. Orseola's people live in trees. Garai's people moved from place to place, their property being only what they need. Garai, Orseola and Sulani  know of sacred sites and the earth's life force, and so in some ways their cultural beliefs overlap, but yet are separate. There is a beautiful same-sex relationship, and there is an intersex character.

This book is hard read, but also such a joy. Full of hope, courage, empowerment and sisterhood, Naondel is a heartbreaking but incredible story, and one that will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you to Pushkin Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

Told through the perspectives of multiple women, Naondel is heartbreaking, breathtaking, and utterly feminist. It's a story of women, sisterhood, and survival. 

We begin with Kabira, a young woman from a wealthy family, who guards the secret of Anji, the spring that gives life - and controls it. Kabira falls in love with Iskan, son of a powerful man in the realm, and shows him what Anji can do. Iskan's evil soon rears its head, and Kabira is terrified of what she's unleashed. But she is trapped in his web.

The years pass, and Iskan acquires a large group of women, from different corners of the world. They live together, if not in harmony, then in understanding, and soon become allies against Iskan's cruelty. Almost all of the women are subjected to his depraved sexual desires (although these aren't described in detail, they may upset some readers), and all of them are dependent on his good graces. As Iskan grows more powerful, he also becomes more paranoid, and no one is safe.

The perspectives of all of the women are beautifully written. Their different characters and experiences shine through, and each one of them carries a moral for the reader to learn. Naondel is a feminist text because it not only describes the suffering of women (at the hands of men), but it also shows the strength of the sisterhood, and how important it is for women to come together. 

Naondel is the prequel to Maresi, which is now on my list to read. Turtschaninoff is an author to keep on your radar.

This book just blew me away. I really enjoyed Maresi when I read it but this was in another league. I wasn't sure what to expect in the prequel but this perfectly told the story of the women who founded the Red Abbey.

The book is told from the point of view of each of these women. It starts with Kabira, a young girl who is the guardian to a powerful spring called Anji. When Iskan, the son of the Vizier enters her life, he seduces her and she tells him Anji's secrets. He uses them to gain power for himself, forces Kabira to marry him and takes control of her life. As he gains more and more power, he enslaves other women and destroys many lives.

The book weaves together the stories each of the women beautifully. Once Kabira's first section was done I thought I'd struggle to start reading someone else's story but I quickly became invested in each women's tale. I loved how they connected to each other, even though their connection was Iskan and the horrible things he did to them. It helped the story cover a large time span without feeling like you were jumping too far forward or missing anything and it was interesting to see the women through each other's eyes.

I felt most connected to Kabira, probably because she started the story off and I felt she suffered the most at Iskan's hands. It wasn't just the rape, but what he did to her family, her children and how he controlled and ruined her entire life. I really felt her pain and grief and sometimes when I was reading it just made me so sad. The other women were all very interesting and different: I particularly liked Estegi and Sulani's story, especially the revelations at the end (no spoilers!) Orseola's dreamweaving was fascinating and Iona' story was really intriguing and sad.

Iskan was an incredible villain. I seriously hated him. He had no redeeming features in my eyes, not after what he did to all of them. He was very well written, his motivations clear and his actions all true to his character. It takes skill to write a character that you can loathe like that: he made my skin crawl whenever he was on the page.

This is a gritty read and it feels weird saying I enjoyed it when I think about all the horrible stuff that happened in it. But it was beautifully written with incredible characters, and while the main part of the book was filled with heartache and tragedy, there was also hope. If you've read Maresi then you know what these women go on to create and you get a glimpse of this at the end, though this book is really the story of their lives before they founded the Red Abbey. After all they go through at Iskan's hands, it's easy to see why they created a place where men weren't allowed and women could be taught their worth.

I cannot recommend this book enough, whether you've read Maresi or not. If you enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale or Only Ever Yours then you'll love this. It's tragic and painful and hopeful and empowering and I just loved it.

In Naondel Maria Turtschaninoff returns to the world of Maresi and we learn of the circumstances around the founding of the Red Abbey  and its first six members. Kariba is his first wife, who in youth and naivete falls for Iskan, son of the Vizier, and reveals to him the secret power of Anji, her family's sacred spring, a power which he soon seizes for himself. Over many years Iksan uses this power to strengthen his position and manipulate all those around him in terrible ways. Alongside the development of his political power is the creation of a brutal harem as he surrounds himself with wives and concubines and Kariba is joined by wives, slaves, servants and women stolen from her from their homes and lands. Over the course of many years these women learn to take comfort and strength in one another and to plan their escape. As a prequel the end is already known, after all without these women the Red Abbey would not exist to provide the haven in which Maresi lives and writes her tale but that doesn't make Naondel any less absorbing.

At first I felt that Naondel was weaker than the first novel. The simplicity of the first story is lost in the number of characters and narrative voices and the many decades and lands covered is quite the opposite of the brief, self-contained tale told by Maresi alone. In addition I had reservations over the frequency of the abuse suffered by the women. Naondel is brutal. These women are injured, humiliated and degraded at all times and rape is a recurrent event. Though each example is brief and never graphic it is difficult to read, and at first I wished that the focus on this most violent of oppressions lacked subtlety and failed to account for the many ways that women can be subjugated. I'm delighted to say that by the end I had entirely changed my mind. From pregnancy, to movement, to activity Iskan exercises full and cruel control over "his" women. The whole tale is built around the physicality of women and the ways in which they are reduced to mere bodies, objects to be used, abused, bought and controlled. 

The counterpoint is the women themselves. They are strong and individual but they are also real. They make mistakes and they make compromises with their situation in order to survive. One of Turtschanioff's achievements is a fantastically diverse cast of female characters. She has created several wonderful cultures that add even greater depth to the world introduced in Maresi but they also represent a vital intersectional feminist message. These women are divided by age, race, class and gender identity and in order to protect themselves sometimes they are guilty of selfishness and cruelty towards one another. Their eventual sisterhood is not easy or inevitable but something that grows out of necessity and needs to be consciously constructed and worked at. It's an important message for young (and old) women that sometimes women themselves are amongst their own worst enemies, that by internalising the prejudices and structures imposed by others we can sometimes be led into oppressing each other. This is represented in the antagonistic relationship of the narrators. Kibira rigidly clings to her position as First Wife, enforcing the hierarchy within Iskan's harem and the women are often scornful of the appearance, habits and backgrounds of their companions.

The development of these characters and their situation is a hugely powerful story about reclaiming the female body from those who want to oppress it and having the freedom to do with it what we will. It also challenges gender roles, each character representing a different view of womanhood. Turtschaninoff manages all of this without ever overwhelming her story or her characters, Her writing is easily strong enough to carry the weight of her message, effortlessly moving from vivid descriptions of different lands and customs to breathless action. The plot is develops slowly but its momentum is inexorable and the narrative combines its many voices with confidence and skill. The writing is captivating and it really is a challenge to put it down, I couldn't, I read the whole thing in a single sitting. Most importantly her women are never idealised or reduced to mere cyphers for the things they represent and their diversity never feels like lip service to an ideal.

Naondel is a thoroughly gripping story that manages to combine a complex, inclusive and uncompromising feminist message with a beautifully realised fantasy world. A feminist clarion call in fantasy form. 

NB My single remaining concern is that the prominence of sexual assault may mean that younger readers who enjoyed Maresi may not be ready for Naondel immediately. However, rape is never used for dramatic expedient and, like in Maresi,  is balanced by the championing of female sexuality and the outright refusal to attach any shame our disapproval when this is a choice actively taken by the character.

This is a must-read book for young-adults and adults alike!

The women who live in the palace of Ohaddin appear to lead a privileged life where they want for nothing. This could not be further from the truth, because they are a harem brought there through treachery or enslavement, to act as servants or wives. They must do as they are told or suffer the consequences of resistance.
But each of the women has their own special ability, for example, to heal, control dreams, see into the future and be a warrior. All of them dream of a place where they can live their lives in freedom and safety.
They must bide their time and plan until the time is right to fulfil their destiny.
Naondel is the second book in The Red Abbey Chronicles and is a prequel to the first book, Maresi, which charts the fortunes of the Red Abbey, a refuge for girls and women.
Naondel begins like an Arabian Nights tale but soon develops into something far more sinister and complex. This is a story about utter control of women by one man and how, as a group, they work together within the boundaries of their imprisonment and exploitation, to eventually break free of it. It does make for a very grueling read, but it is nonetheless a compelling and rewarding one, which is not without hope.
Naondel is pitched as a young adult novel but, because of the concept of the sexual violence inflicted on the women, this is probably more suitable for older young adult or even new adult readers.
There is a depth to the description of this world which makes for a richly layered story. First-person accounts increase the intensity of the narrative, as you experience this tightly controlled world from the women's perspective. The interconnected relationships, and how each woman responds to the situation, demonstrates a terrifying insight on the part of the author into how women try to deal with the abuse, and survival techniques each of them adopt to cope with the attentions of their abuser (a dreadfully manipulative man in a position of power).
There are some very interesting plot twists which add subtle layers to the narrative, particularly with regards to strength of maternal emotion and the bonding of a mother and child put in an impossible situation.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. I have read Maresi and it was interesting to find out the back story. I enjoyed reading the story from the different viewpoints of the strong female narrators. Each with different gifts and there own traumas finding ultimate salvation as a sisterhood. I was hooked in very quickly and felt for each of the main characters. The disintegration of the main villain was well written although not as convincing as the female characters.

I will recommend it to my mature readers as the subject matter was quite adult at times.

If you check out my review of Maria Turtschaninoff Maresi, the first book in the Red Abbey Chronicles, you’ll know how much I loved it. I had to read the second instalment in the series, and it was both more of what I wanted and something new and exciting. Maria’s writing is exquisite, and I love how she weaves her stories slowly and subtly, and the story in this book was so different to Maresi that it still felt new.

First of all, although this is the second book in the Red Abbey Chronicles, Naondel is a prequel to Maresi and not a sequel. It tells the story of the first women who founded the Red Abbey, the women-only society on the island of Menos that Maresi is set in. The majority of the story takes place in the palace of Ohaddin and starts with Kabira. She visits the Sovereign’s palace and meets Iskan, the son of the Vizier who sweeps her off her feet. Iskan is intrigued and obsessed by the mysterious source of magical power in Kabira’s lands, the spirit of Anji, and tricks Kabira into marrying him for control over it. Over the years, we see Kabira as well as Iskan’s subsequent wives, concubines, and slaves, as they suffer mercilessly under his rule, until they finally decide to escape. There is a reason why the Red Abbey Chronicles are being hailed as ‘feminist fantasy’, and that is because these novels focus on women – their strengths, their dreams, their fears, and their stories.

The novel is told through many different perspectives and these various stories take us to many different locations in Maria’s world. Sometimes I am apprehensive when authors do multiple perspectives as it can often feel confusing and the characters can feel superficial, but Maria Turtschaninoff does not fall into this trap. I have absolutely loved the way that she writes since I first opened Maresi, particularly in that her novel’s form is that of written accounts by the characters, looking back on their experiences. This novel consists of the written account of the women once they have arrives on Menos, and it is easy to believe that these are real women remembering their lives. You really get a feel for them as human beings through this structure, and this way of telling the story means that the story builds up over time, just as the characters become clearer and more distinct to you as the novel goes on. I also love how this format means you get a really good idea of the characters’ personal journeys over time. For example, when the novel begins, Kabira is a teenager, and we see her age until she is an old woman, and we see her not only through her own eyes, but through those of the other women as well, so we get a really well fleshed out image of her.

I’m constantly amazed by how Maria Turtschaninoff’s writing seems so effortless. I’m sure that endless hours go into crafting her work to make it so perfect, but as a reader, I felt like every choice of word was perfect, and even though the words are simple, there were many passages that blew me away. She also expertly manages to craft a unique magical world whilst not making it feel overcomplicated or confusing using the different characters to teach us this. Instead of having a huge info-dump, we learn through each of the characters’ different skills. Kabira has grown up with Anji, Garai has grown up with a close affinity to the land, Orseola is a dreamweaver (one of my favourite stories), and Sulani is a warrior woman. They each bring their own knowledge, talents and skills to the story and to the team, so that by the end of the novel, we see women who don’t even all like each other that much form a strong community together.

I honestly feel like I could talk forever about how much I love Maria Turtschaninoff’s writing. I enjoyed Naondel not only for the self-contained story within its pages but also because it adds another wonderful layer to the story that we see in Maresi. Learning about the origins of the Red Abbey and the way of life that Maresi lives was interesting and exciting. As I said with Maresi, I think a wide range of people could love this series. It has something for everyone, whether you are new to the fantasy genre or you have loved it for years as I have, whether you read adult or YA, whether you don’t read a lot at all. There is something in the Red Abbey Chronicles for everyone.