I almost didn't buy A Woman Worth Ten Coppers, because the cover looked so trashy. As a rule--and I know this is going to sound strange, coming from a Laurell K. Hamilton fan--I'm not a big fan of books with buxom, half naked girls on their covers. Generally, I like to preserve the illusion that I'm reading literature--not porn. That being said, when I read the back of the book, the plot sounded intriguing, so I overcame my embarrassment and bought it.

I'm glad I did. Morgan Howell is a relatively new writer, someone I've never heard of before. Within two days, I'd read Coppers, and returned to our favorite haunt, the bookstore, looking for more. I was delighted to discover, she's also written another series! King's Property, Clan Daughter, and Royal Destiny tell the story of a woman who rises from slavery to power, becoming queen of a misunderstood and often maligned race. I wish I'd read this trilogy first; it's set in the same universe as Coppers, and it provides some crucial back-story on the evil, which is well on its way to plaguing the world in that book. The stories aren't directly related; you don't need to read one, to understand or enjoy the other. Nevertheless, if you're a plot nerd like me, you'll appreciate this advice.

I'm one of those people who finds The Lord of the Rings a frustrating read, because it doesn't provide enough back-story on who those Numenorians were, and how they ended up in those barrows. I mean, were the barrow wights there before? Did the Numenorians become the barrow wights? Were the barrow wights attracted to the Numenorians' power somehow?

Seriously. That being said, what makes Coppers--and, so far, Howell's writing as a whole--a standout is the complexity of her characters, and the sensitivity with which she portrays their struggles. Coppers tells the story of a young woman who, through a random twist of fate, becomes a slave. She's neither wholly resigned to her fate, nor is she wholly rebellious. She's not one of those "spunky" heroines, spewing obnoxious one-liners even as she wrestles with trite inner demons. She's a real person. Her new owner is neither a terrible person, nor a saint. He believes in the institution of slavery; it's part of his culture. He's confused by his conflicting desires to treat his new property as a real person, and, at the same time, use her. Their relationship, such as it is, gives this book a powerful center.

For a wonder, the plot is good, too. Howell has a talent of writing concisely, peppering her plot with lots of action, while still adding depth and nuance. Her stories aren't simple or simplistic; I've been consistently surprised and delighted by the paths her characters take. I hate it when plot "twists" are obvious; I feel like I'm outwitting the author or, as Oscar Wilde wrote, going into battle with an unarmed man. Howell is a wonder, in that she's completely original.

Unlike some other favorite authors--Robert Jordan comes to mind, not to speak ill of the dead--Howell doesn't get bogged down in innumerable plot twists, or three page long descriptions of clothing, food, or surroundings. She clearly loves her characters, but she's not in love with them. If you like real people and meaningful conflicts, but you wish the "good" fantasy on your shelf had more action and less stertorous political intrigue, existential angst, and commentary on the tastiness of goat's milk, then Howell's the author for you.

I actually remembered the plot nuances of Coppers a week after I finished reading it. That's rare; most of the time, at least for me, all these "hero awakens to his destiny, slays the villain, saves the princess" stories run together. I remember what happened, but after awhile I sort of forget why--or why I cared. Even worse are those instances where the author is clearly trying too hard. I love urban fantasy, all our regular readers know that, but I seriously don't need another Hamilton or Butcher rip-off. Believe it or not, I'm actually not pining for yet another proto-Rice dialectic on the miseries of isolation being a vampire brings.

You can never see the sun again; life after death is your own private apocalypse. I get it. Rent "What's Eating Gilbert Grape."

In Coppers, Howell brings the gritty, "real world" flavor of urban fantasy to the more traditional landscape of high fantasy. She manages to avoid the clichés of both. Instead, she melds the genres seamlessly to create something that, to some extent, defies categorization. She gives us a strong female heroine without being preachy or turning her book into a platform for women's issues; she gives us a lush, believable, somewhat medieval fantasy world without drawing on Tolkien or the Camelot myth. And, this is what makes Howell so different. She's new, she's different, he work is fresh and original. It would be a real shame if she didn't become a massive best selling author, so buy her books!

Both Coppers and the King's Property trilogy get a straight A.