June 2023 MBR The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Immortal Detective
D. B. Woodling
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744308013, $26.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Detective-D-B-Woodling/dp/0744308011

Synopsis: Celeste Crenshaw has survived her parents' grisly murders, grueling and gender-biased police training, a battle with rogue vampires, and even her own death. While immortality might seem a dream come true, can she accept the strings attached?

Celeste spends the start of her immortal life being mentored by the Elders of the Hollow Earth. They release her once they feel certain Celeste has honed her supernatural powers. But little do they know, Celeste isn't wholly committed to granting eternal life to those deserving.

Upon a return home to her immortal lover, and the Kansas City Detective Squad, she battles mortal foes, not so unlike the demonic undead. And when a fellow detective falls victim to a murderous gang member, Celeste faces a gut-wrenching decision and the possible wrath of the Elders.

Critique: A new, original, fresh, fascinating and fun take on the Vampire genre, "The Immortal Detective" by D. B. Woodling is a 'must read' pick for the legions of vampire fiction fans and an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections. Exceptionally well written, (and leaving readers with an interest in vampire mysteries and paranormal urban fantasies looking eagerly toward the next installment from the mind and imagination of D. B. Woodling) it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Immortal Detective" is also available in a paperback edition (9780744308037, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: D. B. Woodling (https://dbwoodling.com/index.html) is the author of two historical fiction novels: "Shannon's Revenge: Broken Promises" and "Retribution: A Lover's Tale"), and The Detective Mike Malone series.

The Meister of Decimen City
Brenna Raney
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744307702, $27.99, HC, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Meister-Decimen-City-Brenna-Raney/dp/0744307708

Synopsis: Supergenius and quasi-villain Rex normally can't go a week without accidentally endangering Decimen City with her Mad Scientist shenanigans. It's been two weeks since her genetically engineered dinosaurs rampaged through town (a good streak for her) but the peace is broken when actual villain Last Dance sets his sights on Decimen. And he wants Rex's help.

Before Rex can say "I didn't do it", superheroes who have dragged her to jail on her worst days are crowding her lab to conscript her into quasi-herodom.

Rex would rather stay out of it and deal with the dinosaurs that keep calling her Mom, but she can't ignore that she was somewhat responsible for Last Dance's villainy. She'd kept a very disorganized lab. And he was such a nosy brother. She failed to help him back then, but maybe if she stops him now (and keeps the heroes fooled) she can finally set things right!

Critique: Original, fun, and with a special appeal for anyone who has ever sided with the Mad Scientist in a superhero movie, "The Meister of Decimen City" by novelist Brenna Raney is a welcome and mandatory addition to highschool and community library Science Fiction collections for supervillain and superhero fans of all ages. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Meister of Decimen City" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49) and in a paperback edition (9780744307726, $21.99).

Editorial Note: Brenna Raney (https://www.brennaraney.com) began her writing career with Amelia Bedelia fan-fiction on hand-stapled printer paper. Her early original work was entrusted to gel pens and floppy disks, then ballpoint pens and flash drives, and briefly, receipt paper from her first job. In her Academic Period, she produced dry and esoteric works for which she was awarded a master's degree. She has also dabbled in visual media, and her minimalist comic, Ice Cream Money from Grandma, hangs proudly on her grandmother's refrigerator. She resides in Texas, where she bakes bread, kills plants, and teaches anthropology.

Into Shadow: The Tallan Chronicles
Morgan Daimler
Cosmic Egg Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781803412184, $20.95, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Into-Shadow-Chronicles-Morgan-Daimler/dp/1803412186

Synopsis: Muireann spent six months planning to kill the dragon that killed her family. Now the dragon is dead, and she's realized that it was actually the lesser threat guarding a devastating weapon that, if it falls into almost anyone's hands, will bring war and destruction to her world. It can't be left where it is. It can't be hidden. It can't be trusted in the hands of anyone in power or who seeks power.

Muireann's only option becomes a reluctant quest with the elf she rescued from the dragon, a would-be knight, a selkie, and an elven mage to find out as much as she can about the weapon and seek a way to understand the magic that created it. Pursued by a dragon-worshipping cult bent on revenge and a hidden enemy that will do anything to remake the world, the five friends must try to find answers before all is lost.

Muireann thought that killing a dragon was going to be impossible. Saving the world is going to be much harder.

Critique: A deftly crafted and epic fantasy saga, "Into Shadow: The Tallan Chronicles" by Morgan Daimler is a swiftly paced action adventure that showcases the author's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the reader's rapt attention from first page to last. While available for the personal reading lists of all dedicated fantasy fiction fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99), "Into Shadow: The Lallan Chronicles" is a highly recommended addition to highschool and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Morgan Daimler (https://www.facebook.com/Morgandaimler) is a blogger, poet, teacher of esoteric subjects, witch, and priestess of the Daoine Maithe. Morgan is a prolific pagan writer, having published more than a dozen books under Moon Books alone, and she is one of the world's foremost experts on all things Fairy!

Assassin's Creed: The Golden City
Jaleigh Johnson
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082214, $16.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Golden-Jaleigh-Johnson/dp/1839082216

Synopsis: Constantinople, 867 - A murderous plot is afoot. Assisted by the Order of the Ancients, the emperor schemes to assassinate his own son and throw the city into chaos. In response, the Hidden Ones have dispatched Assassin acolyte Hytham to join his mentor, Basim Ibn Ishaq, to infiltrate the palace and foil the emperor's plan.

But that is not his only mission. Hytham's brotherhood have also entrusted him with uncovering where Basim's true loyalties lie and whether the master Assassin's personal obsessions outweigh his sense of duty. For Hytham to succeed, he must tread carefully, for Constantinople is a city of shadows, and danger hides in all of them.

Critique: Another riveting addition to the Assassin's Creed action/adventure fantasy saga, "The Golden City" by Jaleigh Johnson is a riveting read and of special interest to dedicated fans of heroic historical fantasy. While available to the legions of Assassin's Creed fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Assassin's Creed: The Golden City" is a deftly crafted and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Jaleigh Johnson (http://www.jaleighjohnson.com/index.html) is an avid gamer and a fantasy author. Her middle grade debut novel The Mark of the Dragonfly is a New York Times bestseller, and her other books from Delacorte Press include The Secrets of Solace, The Quest to the Uncharted Lands, and The Door to the Lost. In addition to the Marvel novel Triptych for Aconyte Books, she has also written several novels and short stories for the Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms fiction line published by Wizards of the Coast.

The Tyrant Skies
David Annandale
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839081958, $16.95, PB, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tyrant-Skies-Marvel-Untold-Novel/dp/1839081953

Synopsis: The infamous villain Victor Von Doom has many enemies, but he has a special loathing for another equally infamous villain called the Red Skull.

When the Red Skull creates a flying haven for the billionaire elite who share his deplorable values, Doom prepares himself for the worst. When Latveria is beset by a rash of terrorist attacks, his suspicions are confirmed: the Red Skull is coming for Doom's homeland.

Now he must infiltrate the shielded microstate drifting in the skies above Latveria to save his people from annihilation. But finding a way on board the floating city is just the first in a series of trials that will test Doctor Doom to the limits of his beliefs, his strength and his powers.

Critique: With a very special appeal to fans of Super Hero (and in this case Super Villains) stories set in the Marvel Universe, "The Tyrant Skies" by David Annandale is an original and fun read from beginning to end by an author with a complete mastery of the genre. While also available for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Marvel Universe fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "The Tyrant Skies" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for highschool and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: David Annandale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Annandale) is a Canadian writer of Doctor Doom, Arkham Horror and Legend of the Five Rings fiction for Aconyte, and Horus Heresy, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Horror fiction for Black Library. Among his recent novels are Reign of the Devourer and The Harrowing of Doom. He is also the author of the horror novel Gethsemane Hall and the Jen Blaylock thriller series. He is also the Senior Instructor in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media at the University of Manitoba, where he specializes in genre film and video games -- as well as a co-host of the Hugo-nominated podcast The Skiffy and Fanty Show.

Into the Dark Dimension
Stuart Moore
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839081972, $16.95, PB, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Into-Dark-Dimension-Marvel-Protocol/dp/183908197X

Synopsis: Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension has almost completed his conquest of Earth, with a stranglehold on the minds of its citizens. Only a few have managed to resist him. To free the world, Doctor Strange must reassemble his Shadow Avengers, while Tony Stark and a team of amoral tech geniuses cook up a tech defense to break the mind control. As the Shadow Avengers defend Earth, even against those heroes under Dormammu's influence, Ms Marvel must enlist an unlikely ally to destroy the evil lurking within the Dark Dimension.

Critique: A fun and riveting read that is a 'must' for the legions of Doctor Strange fans and firmly set within the Marvel Universe, "Into the Dark Dimension" is a Marvel Crisis Protocol novel by veteran comics writer and editor Stuart Moore. Also avalable for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Into the Dark Dimension" is unreservedly recommended for highschool and community librry Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Stuart Moore (https://stuartmoorewriter.com) is a writer, fiction editor, and a multiple award-winning comics editor. His many novels include X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga, The Zodiac Legacy (created and cowritten by Stan Lee), and Thanos: Death Sentence. He has recently written comics such as Deadpool the Duck, Batman, and EGOs. Stuart is the former editor of the Marvel prose novel line, founding editor of Vertigo, and of several other comic imprints.

Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedy
Michael Simms
Madville Publishing
PO Box 358, Lake Dallas, TX 75065
www.MadvillePublishing.com
9781956440041, $19.95, PB, 282pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bicycles-Gods-Divine-Michael-SIMMs/dp/1956440046

Synopsis: In "Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedy" by novelist Michael Simms, the main character, Jesse, presents an earthly incarnation of Jesus Christ come to earth in the body of a 12-year-old boy in the company of Xavi, who is the earthly incarnation of Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds, also a 12-year-old boy.

The pair of young reincarnated gods stand on a hilltop above the city of Los Angeles contemplating how best to destroy it as a precursor to destroying the entire world to rid it of humanity so it can refresh and rebuild. Xavi is ready to get on with the task The Big Guy, God, has assigned them, but Jesse has a problem. He isn't sure that everyone deserves to be destroyed.

Critique: Especially recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in satire, religious and post-apocalyptic science fiction/fantasy, "Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedyd" is original, witty, compulsive reading from first page to last, and especially impressive when considering that it is Michael Simms debut as a novelist. An inherently riveting and simply fascinating story laced with black humor and philosophical intimidations, "Bicycles of the Gods: A Divine Comedy" is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49), and a welcome pick for community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Michael Simms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Simms_(publisher)) is a poet, writer, editor, publisher, teacher, blogger and entrepreneur. Three full-length collections of his poetry and two widely-adopted poetry textbooks have been published. He has also been the lead editor of over 100 published books, including the bestselling Autumn House Anthology of Poetry, now in its third edition. In 2011, Autumn House was awarded a certificate of recognition from the Pennsylvania state legislature. Simms has taught at a number of universities, including Chatham University's MFA program from 2005-2013.

The Shadow Regent
Chad Corrie
Dark Horse Books
c/o Dark Horse Comics
10956 SE Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222
www.darkhorse.com
9781506734033, $19.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Regent-Chad-Corrie/dp/1506734030

Synopsis: The battle has ended, but the pantheon has survived at a terrible cost. Bereft of both Gurthghol and Vkar's throne, they're now weaker and more defenseless than ever. Yet even as the pantheon seek their footing, three new gods will be added to the family, further disrupting the former order.

And then there are the others (both inside the pantheon and out) who are ager for more power, who will make their moves for greater glory and dominion in this time of divine recovery and realignment.

Plots and plotters, schemers and plans -- all will have their day and way. And the cosmos shall never be the same. To the victor shall go the spoils. To the pantheon comes a new order. And for Tralodren, a new age shall arise.

Welcome to Tralodren, a world rich in history, faith, and tales of adventure -- of which this story is but one of many.

Critique: A god has fallen. A throne sits empty. And ambitious schemers plot in the shadows. Continuing in the aftermath of events of The Wizard King Trilogy, novelist Chad Corrie's latest sword & sorcery epic, "The Shadow Regent" is a standalone story that delves deeper into the Tralodren cosmos and the gods who call it home, revealing the formation of a new era for both god and mortal alike. Original, imaginative, and a master of the Heroic Fantasy genre, author Chad Corrie has genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that engages the reader's full and rapt attention for beginning to end. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists for dedicated epic fantasy fans that "The Shadow Regent" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Chad Corrie (https://chadcorrie.com) has long enjoyed creating things but it wasn't until he was twelve he began writing. Since then he's written comics, graphic novels, prose fiction of varying lengths, and an assortment of other odds and ends. This sundry collection of works echoes part of his background in which he's been an editor and writer for an online magazine, owned his own publishing company; -- and has worked as a pawn broker, bookseller, pizza cook, toy company rep, and magazine/book merchandiser, among other vocational exploits.

Legacy of Seven
P. J. Flie
https://pjflie.com
Book Forge
9781777733919, $18.99, PB, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Seven-Guardian-Rises-Flie/dp/177773391X

Synopsis: Zairoc, a dark wizard. Sir Francis, a benevolent wizard. Trick Mark, captain of the guard, and the construction robot CD-45. Their destinies will collide at the city of Bastion. But concealed from everyone, a young woman holds the key to each of their fates.

Ondreeal has lived her whole life on the farm with her callous adoptive father. She longs to see the world and witness for herself the magical wonders that fill it-and she'll soon get her wish, thrust into an adventure that carries her to heights she never dreamed possible, and to the depths of despair and loneliness. Ondreeal can never become the hero the world wants her to be, but can she become the hero it needs?

Critique: A saga of a novel that will have a special appeal for readers with an interest in the blending of a coming of age story with a fantasy action/adventure story, "Legacy of Seven: A Guardian Rises" by novelist P. J. Flie is an original, deftly crafted, and thoroughly fun read from first page to last. While highly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans that "Legacy of Seven: A Guardian Rises" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).

Editorial Note: P. J. Flie is an author and educator passionate about working with the next generation of artists. He holds a BFA in theatre and social science, and works in all aspects of theatre production from acting coach to director, set builder, lighting designer, and stage manager. He started writing at the age of 10, focusing on honing this craft throughout school and at college. Hailing from Canada, where he currently resides, he continues to create stories.

Surrender
Lee Schneider
Futurex.Studio
https://www.futurex.studio
9798987246627, $29.99, HC, 374pp

https://www.amazon.com/Surrender-Lee-Schneider/dp/B0BS8QNVXW

Synopsis: The year is 2050 and Kat Keeper, grieving the death of her husband, hires a young artificial intelligence savant to recreate her beloved partner in software form.

A rising startup founder brought low by a crushing business failure, Kat is drawn into a love triangle with the artificial mind of her husband and the man who created it. She learns that the software savant, Bradley Power, leads a mysterious tech company planning to capture all human thought without consent. The company will use the stolen, unspoken thoughts of humans to train a machine intelligence to control the weather, all technology and learning, and even human will.

Kat knows she must stop this, but doesn't know how. She is pursued by a secret circle of women who say they have the answer, and want her to lead them.

With the fate of human thought in the balance, and her safety at risk, Kat must choose to lead the secret circle before it is too late, and humanity is under machine control.

Surrender takes place in a future world that struggles to contain climate disaster using global machine governance, a world run by computers and the humans who are both empowered and controlled by them, and where a small band of resisters fight to keep human thought safe and free.

Critique: A timely novel given the new attention being made about the possibilities and perils of artificial intelligence (AI), "Surrender" by Lee Schneider is a masterpiece of science fiction. A riveting plot, deftly crafted characters, reasoned expansions from what we are currently experiencing with AI becoming a force in human society, politics, economics, technology, and even the waging of war, "Surrender" offers up a vision of a world that those being born today will spend their last decades living in it. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans and readers with a particular interest in the possibilities, potentials, and perils of AI that "Surrender" is also available in a paperback edition (9798987246603, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Lee Schneider (https://www.redcupagency.com/media-kit) is the author of screenplays, teleplays, stage plays, short stories, and audio drama podcasts. He is the founder of Red Cup Agency, a podcast production agency, and an adjunct lecturer on the faculty of the USC School of Architecture.

Rhiannon's Circle
Emily Bex
https://www.emilybex.com
Foundations Book Publishing
B0BTC99CQF, $2.99

https://www.amazon.com/Rhiannons-Circle-Bohannon-Witches-Duology-ebook/dp/B0BTC99CQF

Followers of occult fiction who look for stories steeped in paranormal romance and Wiccan power plays will find Rhiannon's Circle the perfect ticket for a moonless night of intriguing reading. A power play within the Bohannon family, which has long led a centuries-old witch's coven with its roots in Ireland, makes for a thoroughly engrossing story that evolves paranormal struggle themes to new levels. Eilish is supposed to lead the coven, but her murderous older sister has other ideas about her legacy. Middle sister Anya finds herself in the middle of a family power struggle set to not only tear them apart, but threaten the coven's rituals and rules. Vampire Ian Cross never thought he'd land in the middle of a witch's conflict, but he finds himself "walking into a minefield of unknowns" as he unwittingly makes choices that lead him into love and danger that hold equal opportunities.

As the characters engage with one another and consider their legacies, prejudices, and interactions with humans and extraordinary beings, Emily Bex brings to life this world and its ability to coexist with everyday humans over the centuries. Intrigue, traditions, and coven politics play out against the backdrop of an evolving romance that not only entertains readers, but leads them to think about family power plays and the special pressures of leadership and heritage. Rhiannon's Circle also grows a mystery which concludes in a satisfying manner for this book, but leaves the door more than ajar for the finale. Libraries and readers seeking occult fiction that excels in mystery, romance, and family struggle will welcome Rhiannon's Circle's powerful, compelling saga.

A Measure of Rhyme
Lloyd Jeffries
http://www.lloydjeffries.com
Buckminster Publishing
9798985526950, $20.99 Hardcover/$13.99 Paper/$2.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Rhyme-Ages-Malice-Book/dp/B0C47TGWPP

Readers familiar with the first book in the Ages of Malice series, A Portion of Malice, may well recall the potent blend of thriller and fantasy that powered the story of a writer assigned to write a billionaire's biography, only to find that Thaddeus Drake is the leader of a secret society determined to bring on the apocalyptic end of mankind. It might seem unlikely that a suicidal writer would be the savior of the planet, much less in the position to play a major role in the timeless battle between good and evil, but Emery Merrick plays a part akin to no other as he confronts both inner and outer demons.

This measure of courage continues in A Measure of Rhyme, which will best be appreciated by those who found A Portion of Malice unforgettable, and who will find its sequel an equally powerful force of wonder. The prologue reintroduces Emery and presents the very different task he's assigned, but it also captures an underlying sense of wry observation humor that comes forth especially strongly in this book. As readers then receive a surprising truth about Emery's condition and foray into spiritual realms usually limited to angels and the dead, they move into a story replete with twists and turns that keep them guessing, wondering, and thoroughly engrossed. Some of this surprise factor lies in the continual challenges Lloyd Jeffries injects into any preconceived notions of Emery's ongoing journey.

The blend of spirituality, myth, and history both confronts and confounds any prejudices or inherent beliefs about these facets in a story that is especially adept at not just confronting illusions, but ripping them apart. Emery's ongoing journey is that of Everyman, reflecting humanity's relentless progression towards destruction, but also its hopeful possibilities of redemption that go hand-in-hand with salvation and damnation. Drake's ability to shut down the place and people involved in his deadly ritual is not quite complete. Remnants remain to evolve new possibilities, while Emery's self-destructive routes receive continual challenge from God, Cain, and others mirroring new beginnings that rise like phoenixes from the possibilities of endings and total destruction.

Lloyd Jeffries cements these journeys of God and man with dialogues and reflections that will serve book clubs and readers with thought-provoking opportunities for discussions of spiritual and psychological revelation. Power blossoms not just in Emery but in Cain, Igneus, Sebastian, and a host of other characters whose strengths, weaknesses, and observations contribute to a greater good and realizations that continue to rock the worlds of those who populate this novel and their readers. Chaos is both called for and realized, and denied, as events emerge with fiery repercussions to portend new directions as well as the inevitable results of humankind's social, political, and spiritual entanglements. The backlash is inevitable. It's also unexpected, diverging from anything readers could anticipate to forge new avenues of spiritual and historical inspection.

The gift of love and the notion that evil can be timeless make A Measure of Rhyme a thought-provoking blend of fantasy, thriller, and philosophical inspection well on the level of Dan Brown's spiritual bent, with a little Robert McCammon thrown in for good measure. Libraries and readers who relished A Portion of Malice will find A Measure of Rhyme equally powerful in its synthesis of fantasy, history, and religious inspection. It drops a bomb on any notion of predictability, leading into experiences and outcomes that wind up feeling almost inevitable despite their many surprises.

The Singing Shore III: Spirit and Flame
E.P. Clark
Helia Press
9781952723391, $25.00 Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Singing-Shore-III-Spirit-Flame/dp/1952723396

The epic fantasy trilogy The Singing Shore opens with a puzzle for newcomers: while Spirit and Flame is clearly the third book, it's also the seventh book in The Zemnian Series and the fifth in Dasha's Story. This translates to the fact that Spirit and Flame will best be enjoyed not just by prior readers of the series in general and this trilogy in particular, but by followers of epic fantasy who enjoy a wide array of characters and ongoing quests that keep their missions both lively and unpredictable. Dasha is heir to the throne on a mission of peace to the Rutsi, the warlike tribes of her kingdom. Her life is complicated by the promise of a magical power she has yet to command, Dasha is accompanied by escorts who struggle to keep her safe against the attention of a murderous magical wolf who covets her power to add to his own. The adventures haven't ended with Dasha's prior discovery of her abilities, but continue here as she wields them on behalf of her kingdom, which is falling increasingly into war.

The second book ended with a fleet of Rutsi intent on invading. This book picks up where that moment left off, continuing to follow Dasha as she comes into her power and makes decisions about how best to unite her divided world. A spirit cannot be separated from its body for long, or it will die. Dasha's rare gifts translate to uncommon and hard decisions as she faces special challenges both within and outside. As in the other books, E.P. Clark embeds the story with action and reflective moments, exploring the motivations and psyche of Dasha and those around her and adding components of intrigue and discovery. These power a hard-hitting quest that operates on different levels, from considerations of honor and pride to visions that introduce portents of danger and demand responses from Dasha that are well out of her comfort zone.

The strength lies not only in this book's expanded connections with its predecessors and the series as a whole, but in the psychological and magical conundrums faced by Dasha as she steps up and into her own abilities and the hard decisions they exact. Why are facets of her world alive and yet not alive? Dasha's pursuit of final answers in her journey provides just the right amount of intrigue, purpose, and uncertainty to attract fans of epic fantasy and magical transformations, romance and action; particularly prior readers and libraries that have seen patron interest in the other books.

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