grounds the reader in an alien setting with an economy of description

Yes! Her prose is so sharp and on point, and she can turn that perfect phrase that makes you put down the book for a second and say, "Yes. That's it exactly." She's also capable of writing fantasy that doesn't need to have a giant map in order to be engaging, but can simply take place on a handful of farms.

(I saw her read last week from Lavinia and she was incredible.)