Friends are the family we choose for ourself

No matter who we are, how we define ourself or the way life throw us around, we need a family. Family is our history, the starting point of our future, and the backdrop to all the happenings of our lives.

Family are our blood relatives, our parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins ... however far apart we may seem in distance, in age or how we choose to live our lives.

But family is not just about blood, it's really about who you are, and who you choose to settle with. Who you trust and who trusts you in return. Friends may just be the family that you trust the most because they are your friends, not a relative "just" by blood, but trusted because you earned that trust by being the best friend you possibly could.

In the world of lesfic, some has no choice in the matter of family. Blood relatives may die or choose to distance them self from a way of life not conforming to their beliefs. If you are an old hand in the world of lesfic you will know that we do find a good number of lesfic protagonists travelling a lonely journey through life in our neck of the wood, that is at least until they can find that elusive someone to share their lives with.

And a lonely journey through life might just have been where Kyri was headed had it not been for a chance meeting in the woods with a band of armed men and a lone Amazon fighting for her life. Yes ... I'm talking Amazon as in "woman clad in leather" - and not just for a fun night of dancing ! I know I don't usually go there, back to the ancient or the land of fantasy fiction, but why not ? If the writing is entertaining why let it pass you by ? 

If you're game then tag along as I travel with Kyri, who is almost at the end of her training as a master Fletcher (the), when she finds herself on a journey to a new beginning and perhaps in time a new family among the tribes of Amazons. For Kyri and the reader this is a journey into the Greek myths of women warriors and I promise the Amazons are fierce warriors as well as gentle lovers and true friends.

You might ask how Kyri - a young woman who has spend most of her life training with her father learning the craft of fletching arrows - will do among a band of marry sword wielding maidens but do not worry, Kyri has what it takes to make a place for herself among the Amazons. While she might not be a warrior at heart she will fight for her new family of friends even at the possible cost of her own life. Does it ring true ... i don't know .. who cares - I love the fact that Kyri masters not only the craft of fletching but is also above and beyond any Amazon as an Archer (the) a fact that Kyri will prove in battle as well as in the numerous tests put to her on her way to gain a place with her new Amazon family. 

Is this a romance ? ... well if you are the "love them and leave them" type of reader going for a fast "kill" then look elsewhere. The Fletcher is a slow paced start on a long journey of finding a new place in life and gaining a family of your own choice. If the myth of the Amazons are well known to you, you might find this to be a bit long winded but then just scroll on for a bit, and catch up with Kyri as she prepares for her initiation with the Amazons and catches the eye of the Queen. 

I can hardly remember where "The Fletcher" (1 part of the series) ends and "The Archer" (2 part of the series) takes over, but I do remember that the first and second instalment of the story of Kyri are paced differently. With "The Archer" Kelly Aten has decided to give us a more fast moving storyline where the daily life, battles and rituals of the Amazon tribe are interwoven with the romance needed to make this a true lesfic ;-) ... but if you are looking for LHEA be warned ! When I left Kyri and her Queen to write this post they where far from happy ! ... I'm not telling you why but I'll let you know that Kyri will need all her abilities and perhaps a little help form her friends to make it back into the arms of her Queen.  Right now Kyri's faith is entirely up to the bard - the third and final ? part of the story is still on Kelly Aten's writing desk - I for one hopes that she will soon find the time to lend Kyri a helping hand - she really needed it when I saw her last !  

Just want to let you know that The Fletcher and The Archer are available on Archive of Our Own in re-edited versions, and if you are hooked on the story of Kyri and her Queen then follow where Kelly Aten leads ... the third and last book in this series The Sagitarius This is hosted on The Academy of Bards and much easier to read than fic's on Archive of Our Own!