Hi!
Im surprised at not seeing any responses here. I really liked the book, specially Jacinda's character. I also liked that Kang-hee had some proper motivations and was not simply the "evil sibko trainer". It was also nice to see anotether side to the fight with the dragoons.
The only critisicm I have (not really author's fault), ist that the story is very simlar to the latest stories in this period where a sibko in a planet has to step up in view of all the warriors having left (No Substitute for Victory, A Question of Survival). I feel that all this kid clanners from the sibkos are basically the same and have mostly the same journey. I would have actually preferred to read more about Jacinda.
In any case, I look forard to reading more from Isi.
I wrote the first draft before A Question of Survival was released and have to admit, I have so far not read No Substitute for Victory.
The "problem" here is, that the main characters from the Dark Age era are all old people. To continue the story, you need some fresh blood to carry on (because who wants to read all about a bunch of 70 year olds going to war?). I also intended to have Miranda and Darwin work as a kind of mirror to Jacinda.
What she could have achieved, had she not constantly stood in her own way and had she not been alone. Because, let's be honest here, Miranda and Darwin achieved as much as they did, because neither one of them was alone in being different. Had it been only Miranda or only Darwin, their tendency to work in unconventional ways would have ended just as badly as it did for Jacinda.
And yeah, having Kang-hee not just be an evil sibko trainer was very important. My first draft had the outlines of that and enough of it for me to get it, but Phil Lee (my editor) said I had to get deeper into character motivations, that I had not shown enough. Good thing he was there, or I would have missed the goal of Kang-hee not just being evil.
His "final lesson" line was in there from the start to show that. A lot (not all) of his additional motivation came from Phil saying I should show more. So, in big parts, that is his achievement as well :)