Me reading fantasy for grown-ups: Heroes Adrift, by Moira J. Moore

I must say I am quite enjoying reading contemporary fantasy books for adults on a regular basis!  Of course, I have not been making Risky Choices in the books I have been choosing.  This week's book, for instance, was very safe.  Moira J. Moore's Hero series, of which Heroes Adrift (Ace, 2008) is the third, is one that I began reading because of Angie's enthusiastic endorsement.  I am happy to report that these books make lovely comfort reading for those who enjoy character-driven romantic fantasy with generous dashings of intrigue and magical world-building. 

Here's Angie's review of the first book, Resenting the Hero, and yes, it has an awful cover, just awful, one of the worst ever, but don't be deterred. 

In Heroes Adrift, Lee and Taro are relieved of their obligation to use their extraordinary mental gifts to protect the citizens of their alien planet from natural disasters.  Instead, they're sent down to one of the southern islands at the command of the Empress, to track down descendants of an illegitimate member of the royal family.   Confronted with a very different culture, and very different perceptions of their value to society (which is to say that for a change they are now broke), they are forced to re-examine and re-negotiate both the way they think of themselves, and their relationship to each other, and though there are no Big Happenings, there's lots of small goings on that cumulatively make for a good story, and I did enjoy very much the unhurried progression of the two main characters.   It's made more interesting by the fact that Lee, from whose point of view we see things unfold, is, by nature and nurture, a somewhat unreliable observer of both herself and Taro--what she says is happening isn't what the reader thinks maybe going on! 

In short, reading Heroes adrift was like going on a trip with good friends, and doubtless book number four in the series, Heroes At Risk, will show up here soon (or maybe not so soon--I'm enoying taking my time with these, saving them for when I need a fun, untaxing break from the rigours of middle grade sff, which is actually quite a lot harder to write about thoughtfully...)

Note on this cover--there is no piratical adventure at sea, and Lee would never skip around a boat looking like that. Sigh.