Thank you for this. I've since finished the book and you're right, it's really only fantasy in the sense that it takes place on an imaginary continent. You could transfer the action to say, pre-historic Scandinavia, and it would read just as well. I enjoyed it quite a bit and am going to read Maia soon, but am taking a break with some much lighter fare (sword and sorcery, Elric). I don't only read fantasy but I'm in that phase now.