Synopsis With the arrival of soldiers armed with all manner of magic, a formerly peaceful community is left no choice but to defend itself, while a young woman, linked since birth with the spirit of a dead fox, must come to terms with her own growing magical abilities.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1998-10-01 | | Series: | Daw Book Collectors, No. 1105 |
| Size | | Length: | 386 pages | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 23.2 oz |
Publisher's Note Blending popular themes into an inventive and original new fantasy universe, this magical collaboration tells of a land where the war between god and goddess is finally over. But even in peace, there is peril, especially for Kiarda, a young woman destined to be spirit-linked to a fox at birth.
Veteran DAW fantasy author Mickey Zucker Reichert joins with talented newcomer Jennifer Wingert to tell the story of a magic-filled land, where a war between the god and goddess has led to a war among mortals, and the reconciliation of the immortals brings peace to mortals as well. But even in peace there is peril, especially for Kiarda, a young woman of noble lineage destined to be spirit-linked to a fox at birth. When the fox is killed before they bond, its spirit has nowhere to go but into Kiarda's body. This unfortunate event will in time lead her to seeming madness, and her people to the brink of a new and far more devastating war!
Industry Reviews When a "Joyous Reunion" between warring gods introduces a state of perpetual peace between the peoples of the River and the Marshlands, both cultures ban the study of war and look forward to an endless future of prosperity. When conquerors invade the lands, seeking to impose their monotheistic religion on the barbarians of the Marshlands, only a small group of individuals including a renegade warrior, a psychologically scarred shapeshifter, and an open-minded priest can find a way to prevent an unwinnable war. Veteran fantasy author Reichert and first-time novelist Wingert combine their talents to deliver a well-crafted story of conflicting beliefs and transcendent loyalties that belongs in most libraries. Jansen
In a rather generic fantasy world, a war among the gods that spread to human beings ended in a declaration of universal peace. Armed forces no longer exist, and even weapons training is considered blasphemous. Human beings link with the spirits of animals, and a female, Kiardra, is destined to link at birth with the spirit of a fox cub. But the cub dies and the orphaned fox spirit flees to its only possible refuge Kiardra. She grows up inhabited by this spirit, protected by her family from persecution. By the time she is an adult, her land faces invasion by a hostile army, well furnished with potent mages and determined to destroy all the spirit-linked among their enemies. Kiardra winds up playing a vital role in repelling the invasion. The characterization, dialogue and magic scenes are all up to Reichert's previous standard (Beyond Ragnarok, etc.) this is Wingert's debut but the authors fail to plausibly develop the underlying premise of religiously enforced pacifism. As a result, a novel in many respects quite well crafted ultimately fails. Reichert has done better, particularly when she has drawn on Norse folklore and myth; presumably she, and hopefully Wingert, will make a stronger showing next time out. (Dec.) White
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