Kindle Edition Amazon KateMarie Collins Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Solstice Shadows ISBN-10:  1625262558 Type: Fiction Pages: 106 Copyright: July 24, 2015 ISBN-13: 9781625262554 In a world ruled by women, Arine is tasked to save boys from arranged marriages. And find the brother her mother sold into slavery.  The Moreja Sisterhood exists to rescue boys from abuse and arranged marriages. Arine’s on assignment, bringing Cavon back to her home in Sanctuary, when she discovers something terrifying. He can do magic. When the chance comes up for her to go back out and rescue her own brother, sold off by her mother ten years earlier, Arine eagerly takes the chance. But can she talk him into coming home to Sanctuary with her? And can they get there before the Domine’s army, bent on controlling the magic? Excerpt The wagon bounced hard, jolting Arine awake. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around at the landscape. It was early morning, just past dawn. The forest was familiar in the dim light. Home wasn’t far off. She stretched her arms towards the sky, willing the muscles in her back to wake with the rest of her. She shifted a bit in the bed of the wagon. It was laden down with several boxes and bags, as well as a few other people from her village. Theos wasn’t isolated, but it wasn’t on a major caravan route either. Odd peddlers and such passed through often enough. Still, once or twice a year several of the tradesfolk banned together and made the run to Recor for supplies. Arine moved aside the oilcloth covering the bundle next to her. The leather underneath it remained dry. It wasn’t the rainy season, but she’d spent far too much of her mother’s money on it to run the chance of spotting. Their shop was the only one for days in any direction to either have shoes made or repaired. She bounced along with the wagon as the sun continued to climb over the horizon. Reaching a hand into her tunic, she felt the small bundle within. A smile crossed her face. Ian would love the colors she’d chosen. The pencils were a good quality, and far more expensive than she would normally have spent. There wasn’t much she could give her brother that would make him as happy, though. A smile crossed her face at the thought of her brother. While only two years younger than she was, he was small for fourteen. Ever since the accident that had claimed their father’s life, Ian had lived in a world of his own creation. He could hear well enough, but rarely spoke to anyone besides Arine. She was the only one in Theos who could understand him. Not even their mother could. It seemed to Arine that their mother had given up trying to help Ian before she finished burying her husband. For all his problems, Ian could draw beautifully. Sometimes she’d find him curled up at the hearth, charcoal and parchment on the floor next to him, where he’d fallen asleep while drawing the night before. The creaking of the wagon seat alerted Arine, breaking her out of her reverie. Elaine looked down at her. “Last bend coming up, Arine. Wake the others.” The older woman turned back around, her long silvery braid swinging slightly. Arine pushed a stray lock of her coppery hair out of her face before slowly waking the two others in the wagon with her. More had wanted to come on the run, eager to see the sights of Recor, but there wouldn’t be enough room for them and their goods on the return trip home. Winter had been brutal, depleting stores below normal levels. Only four of them went this time, but the shopping list had been long. The trees parted, giving way to the clearing where Theos sat. Arine took in the familiar houses and shops, dominated by the inn that took up the area behind the central well. Their wagon had been spotted already. Women poured forth from the buildings, voices calling out for help unloading, as they eagerly watched the wagon creep forward. Arine kept silent, letting Elaine and the others answer the questions being put forth by everyone at once. She could barely keep the voices separate. Quickly, the wagon was emptied of all but the leather for Arine’s mother and Elaine’s own purchases. Jumping down from the wagon, Arine reached in and pulled the leather bundle towards her. Her eyes scanned those still near the wagon, but Ian wasn’t among them. That’s strange, she thought. Normally he’s right here to carry the leathers for me. Puzzled, she rearranged her own pack and lifted the package from the wagon bed. At least the shop wasn’t a long walk away. Struggling slightly to keep her hold on the package, Arine found the latch to the door. The door swung wide at her urging, announcing her presence with a loud bang as it hit the interior wall. Arine carefully maneuvered past the tables and racks of wares, grateful her mother had put off rearranging the store until she returned. Arine put the package on the back table with a grunt. Leaning on it for a moment, she called out, “Ma! Ian! I’m back!” When she didn’t hear a reply, Arine removed her pack and placed it quietly on the floor behind the table. The door to the work area was cracked open. A small knot of fear formed in her stomach. She moved to open the door, looking inside the workroom. Her mother sat at a workbench, her back to Arine. The small fire, just big enough to keep the room comfortable, burned merrily in the fireplace. Tools were placed on various surfaces, waiting to be used. The chair Ian preferred sat empty. “About time you got back, Arine. Though Elaine said it might take a few more days, given the lists of stuff everyone wanted.” Her voice rang in Arine’s ears. The tone was wrong. The older woman shifted, turning around to face Arine. Her dark hair was disheveled, strands fought against the tight braid she usually wore. “Did you get a decent amount of leather for me?” Arine scanned the room. There was no sign of Ian. Not even a sketching. Those normally cluttered the corner of one of the tables. “Yes, Ma. I put them out on the table. You should be ok for a while.” The fear in her stomach was growing. “Ma, where’s Ian?” The woman stood. Grabbing a thick cloth, she moved a steaming kettle away from the fire. Calmly, she poured herself a cup of tea before responding to Arine. “He’s gone. Caravan came through, saw his drawings. Offered me good money to take him with them. Said the Domines loved having artists in their houses.” “You sold him?” Aghast, Arine’s voice shook with shock and fury. “Not really. It’s not like I could’ve gotten him a wife around here, Arine. He’s not worth much to anyone. If the Domine likes having a mute fool for an artist, why shouldn’t we get a chance to profit?” Reaching into the pocket of her trousers, the woman tossed a small pouch onto a table. The heavy clink of coins echoed in the room. “That’s your share. Go ahead. Take it. It’ll go to your house, anyway, so might as well enjoy it now while you’re young.” Arine stared at the pouch, her mind reeling. Ian had been sold. Like a piece of property. His only sin being born a boy. Slavery was illegal, but the Domines usually looked the other way when it came to boys. “When did you do this?” Arine struggled to keep her voice neutral. However, if she could get information on when the caravan came through, she might be able to go after him. She kept her eyes on the pouch, unable to look at her mother. “Two, maybe three days ago. The caravan didn’t stay long. Lynn’s stores in the inn were already fairly low. There were too many for her to feed beyond that.” Her slurping of tea reached Arine’s ears. “Pretty sure Lynn did some trading of her own. Saw a few new boys cleaning tables for her today. I’ll bet you saw them as well. She would’ve sent them out to help unload Elaine’s wagon.” Arine’s mind worked frantically. Two or three days’ head start! Very carefully, she reached out and took the pouch from the table. It was heavier than she expected. She’d need to find Bess first. Her friend could get all sorts of information from the new boys at the inn, and probably already had. “I’m a bit thirsty from the trip, Ma. I’m going up to Lynn’s to have a drink or two, recoup a bit. Don’t wait up.” Keeping a tight rein on her anger, Arine darted from the shop before anyone could stop her.

High Fantasy Explores Gender Roles
I am often very careful about the high fantasy that I choose to read. Even knowing that it will be highly fictional going into it, I still require there to be some standard of believability. If I get just a few chapters in and feel that the story is too far out there, I usually don't finish the book. Thankfully, Arine's Sanctuary by KateMarie Collins walks that fine line of high fantasy and believability for me, though I have to say it did leave me a bit disturbed.

Centered around Arine, a strong female protagonist, the novel takes place in a world that appears similar to Earth. The time is likened to, perhaps, the Renaissance era in style, invention and exploration, but it is the social positions and status of women that really sets this book apart for me.

You see, in this world, women rule society. Men are seen as a commodity; bought, sold and traded as the women see fit. Now, I'm all for a good matriarchy, but these women were brutal, treating men very poorly, to the point of verbal abuse and harassment. And I'm not sure if Ms. Collins intentionally set out to do this, but I couldn't stop thinking about how this female-sided society was failing miserably. What was most bothersome, was that I couldn't quite figure out if I was more disturbed by the women's response to power (holding it and lording it over others) or the fact that their general behavior toward men was a close reflection on how many women are treated in today's society. It was a complete role reversal, and intentional or not, it got me thinking about gender, power, and the roles of men and women in our culture.

However, I digress. The story itself was entertaining. It followed Arine on her quest to find and rescue her brother from servitude. Arine is part of Sanctuary, a place where women feel that men should be treated better (still not as equals, but better). She is part of the Moreja, trained operatives with mad ninja-like skills. She’s tough, smart, honest, and vulnerable...a great lead character. Ms. Collins is able to show the duality of Arine's struggle between following the path of her heart and the path of her duty. It was lovely when those moments merged her heart and duty into one.

I liked how Ms. Collins is able to effectively take this character through her emotional journey while battling against the forces that would see her fail. Her writing is fluid, the dialogue is succinct, and the overall pacing is timed well. The editing was great. I enjoyed how Ms. Collins brought an element of magic into the mix, just enough to get the point across not too much to overpower the story. The only thing I would mention is that the story did seem to end abruptly. As a reader, I felt there was room to further explore and expand on not only the main character and her relationships, but a few supporting roles, as well.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to fans who like books of this nature, especially a YA audience, though it could reach ages much older. Personally, I will recommend this title to anyone with an 11+ year old as a springboard to a larger discussion on gender equality.

Made my afternoon action packed!
This book was well-written and well developed. It is fast-paced and full of adventure. The characters are resourceful and enjoyable, and I found it a great afternoon read. This book redefines gender roles and puts the roles of males and females into perspective in an interesting way. This is a great reimagining of the social structures, while adding in fluid action scenes. And who doesn't love a kick-but feme-fatale!

Faridah Nassozi, Reader's Favorite
In Arine's Sanctuary by KateMarie Collins, Arine returned home from a supply run to the most devastating news; her mother had sold her 14-year-old brother off. Arine searched high and low for the caravan that had taken her brother but in vain. She moved from town to town with no success. It was in one of those towns that she was approached by a stranger who convinced her to join the Moreja Sisterhood. Unlike the dictatorship that ruled elsewhere, the Moreja were a free people whose sole purpose was rescuing others, especially young boys, from oppression and giving them a chance at freedom. Arine was trained and became a very successful rescuer. The last rescue Arine had done had been a success, but it had brought some new knowledge and challenges to Sanctuary. Now she was on a new rescue mission, one that was dearest to her heart. This is the rescue she had set out for over ten years ago. This would be the most important rescue of her life, but also the hardest and most dangerous one, with a pleasant surprise in store for her. When Arine and her group learn of their enemy's plans, they must make it back home fast or they might not have a home to go back to. In a desperate attempt to defeat the enemy, Arine proves just how far she would go to protect Sanctuary and all that resided there.

Imagine all the evil and injustices that activists for the girl child have been fighting since time immemorial - sex slavery, arranged marriages and all other sorts of oppression and abuse - then replace the girls with boys and you have yourself the main plot for Arine's Sanctuary. KateMarie Collins crafted a truly unique and captivating plot in Arine's Sanctuary with a subject that is dear to many hearts. By focusing on boys, the story puts a fresh spin on the subject of children's rights. Although a work of fiction, KateMarie Collins' Arine's Sanctuary engages the reader in a topic that is important to many and delivers an awesome read. Aside from all the evil, I liked the idea of women being in charge and the hopeful belief that we can change the world one step at a time; one rescue at a time.