Now this is more my speed--and would have been even more my speed if not for the out-of-nowhere decision to completely change the focus of the story. Far less non-stop mayhem than I was expecting, because there's as much attention to tension-building here as sword-swinging. Gold Swallow starts out as a compelling protagonist not just because she's a woman, but because she's watchful; her power comes as much from observing and strategizing as it does from martial skill, which makes…