Youve created a very strong heroine in Isabeau. Do you feel that fantasy writing tends to be more male oriented.?
Once upon a time fantasy fiction was certainly strongly chauvinistic, there’s no doubt about that. And I’m not just talking about the classic sword-and-sorcery tale that was all bulging pectorals and helpless half-naked women waiting to be rescued. Even Tolkien created a strongly male-dominated world. The only female hobbit of any note was Lobelia Sackville-Baggins who stole all Bilbo’s silver spoons. And although there are some brave and beautiful elf-queens in The Lord of the Rings, they appear only briefly and play only a very minor role. However, times have changed. In the past twenty years or so there has been a growing charge of women both writing and reading fantasy. This has resulted in quite a few books where strong, interesting women predominate. On top of that, there is a new sensitivity among many contemporary male fantasy authors. Some books still make me grind my teeth in irritation, but I think most of the really good fantasists are now creating really strong, interestin
