Rowany de Vere and a Fair Degree of Frost

It is, perhaps, a little dodgy for me to be reviewing a Chaz Brenchley book featuring Rowany de Vere. However, this is not a Crater School book. It is a novella published by NewCon press. Some explanation is in order.

When Chaz approached me about this book I had no plans to publish novellas. Indeed, I didn’t want to. The Wiz Duos series only came about because of the collapse of Kristell Ink, and the need to rescue the novellas that Roz & Jo had edited for them. So I suggested to Chaz (and his agent, John Jarrold) that they talk to Ian Whates instead. I knew Ian did novellas, and that Chaz and John would trust him to do a good job. As indeed he has done.

This being a Rowany book, I splashed out and got the limited edition hardcover edition. It is very nice. But you don’t have to pay that much for a copy.

So what is it about? Well, as Crater School fans will remember, Rowany’s acceptance at Oxford was delayed for mysterious reasons, causing her to spend an extra year on Mars and be available to feature in three more novels.

Rowany is the daughter of the famous General de Vere. She has three brothers, all of whom are in the army. Dealing with such annoyances are part and parcel of what has made Rowany the highly competent young woman that she is. Brothers are a pain in the arse.

Rowany is not in the army. She has been tapped for something much more prestigious. Having graduated from Oxford (one assumes with a First), Rowany now works for the Colonial Service. This is a euphemism of sorts. Yes, she is a civil servant. Were this our world rather than Benchley’s Imperial Mars, we would probably say that she works for MI6.

Rowany de Vere and a Fair Degree of Frost tells of her first serious mission in her new job. An important Russian gentleman is on Mars for a chess tournament. He has been in secret contact with the Colonial Office and has expressed a wish to defect. Rowany has been tasked with collecting him and bringing him in, before the Russians can manage to assassinate him.

This, then, is a very different Rowany. She is still, of course, highly competent. She still has that poor opinion of men that only a girl who grew up with Too Many Brothers can have. She certainly has no truck with the sexist views of her Russian charge, who is outraged that his personal safety has been entrusted to a mere girl. But Rowany too is a valuable asset. The Colonial Office would not have sent her on this mission were she not thoroughly well prepared. And that is the difference.

Yes, this book is about Rowany de Vere, much loved former Head Girl of the Crater School and the sort of person who can be relied upon to keep a cool head and think her way out of the most dreadful scrapes. Because of the nature of her new job, getting out of scrapes can include the use of extreme measures. This is a new Rowany: one who is Licensed to Kill.

Title: Rowany de Vere and a Fair Degree of Frost
By: Chaz Brenchley
Publisher: NewCon Press
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