NOR IRON BARS A CAGE, by Caprice Hokstad is one fabulous piece of work. Those privileged enough to have read her first installment of The Ascendancy Trilogy, THE DUKE'S HANDMAID, will find NOR IRON BARS A CAGE even more enjoyable. It is my personal opinion that she used the story in her first book to lay the ground work, describe Byntar, the complex society, and introduce us to a number of key characters. THE DUKE'S HANDMAID, while stunning in itself, then becomes simply a foundation which she builds upon. And build she does. The intricate workings of NOR IRON BARS A CAGE cannot be overstated. The characters remain rich and fresh, and you'll notice that they are maturing as you read about them. They are alive, something that is a novelty in itself. The story takes you through so many twists and turns, catapults you into one problem after another, but the focus is always interesting. Caprice Hokstad is one beautiful storyteller, and anyone interested in period fiction, fantasy, fantasy romance or anything with a fairytale feel, will thoroughly enjoy her work. They would only be gypping themselves by not reading this marvelous book.

For her second novel in the Ascendancy trilogy, Caprice Hokstad chose an appropriate title, Nor Iron Bars a Cage. In a fantasy world where slavery is a normal part of a culture, one of the big questions is, “what is true freedom?”

Events take up right where they left off in The Duke’s Handmaid. In case you haven’t read the first book, there are enough details that you can easily follow the story, although it would be preferable to read both books. Nor Iron Bars a Cage is set in the imaginary country of Latoph. (You can find some cool details about Latoph, including a map, at http://www.latoph.com/) In this world there is a duality to everything: two suns, two moons, two races of people. Even twin brothers who were supposed to reign together as kings, but only one was given the throne. The other one, our hero Duke Vahn, has only his duchy at his control. This is a cause of major sibling tension.

The story starts up a while after the Duke’s former wife had taken off with their son, fleeing with her lover back to her father’s kingdom of Ganluc. Prince Duke Vahn has searched in vain to discover where his former wife Saerula had hidden Dauntère in Ganluc. Finally, kee, his secret wife and handmaiden extraordinaire, devises a plan enter Ganluc as a recaptured runaway slave, reasoning that a slave will not be suspect and may get information that others could not. The plan is dangerous for all of them, but especially kee, who must be kept locked in a cage as they transport her through the country. There are some very serious misadventures, but I won’t spoil that here.

Meanwhile, while kee is gone, the Duke finds himself in hot water due to a hasty bet with an angry duchess who tried to snatch the Duke as a groom. The loser has to act as slave to the winner for eight weeks. As the saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

There are some very deep issues in this novel, much deeper than they appear on the surface. This is a totally different culture, but at heart is the Biblical example that kee in particular was following. True freedom is found when we willingly submit to the will of God and allow Him to be the Lord. One gem of this novel is coming to terms with what Lordship means. When God is truly Lord, He is also our Father. He takes care of us, feeds us, protects us, with our welfare in mind even when He corrects us. Vahn learns to be more of a Christ figure in the second novel. The virtue is not so much in getting our rights as being submissive to God and others.

One point I wish to make clear: just because this is fantasy, do not expect it to be a children’s book. It is definitely written for adults and describes adult issues. Mrs. Hokstad said that since she couldn’t find the kind of book she wanted to read, she decided to write it herself. Adult scenes are worded carefully, with no vulgarity or cheapness, but it is suggested that parents read the novel first before handing it to teenagers. You won’t find anything more graphic than is depicted in the Bible.

By and large, this was a very entertaining and insightful, richly detailed story. Caprice Hokstad has painstakingly laid out a new world with luxurious descriptions of topography, customs, even home furnishings. Her descriptions made me wince with pain, smile at the sweetness of kee, and feel the thirst in the desert. There were plenty of exciting scenes along the way, and quite a few truths to ponder.