Goodreads description: THEY DESTROYED HER WORLD. BUT SHE’S THEIR ONLY HOPE...
Avry’s power to heal the sick should earn her respect in the plague-torn land of Kazan. Instead she is feared. Her kind are blamed for the horrifying disease that has taken hold of the nation. When Avry uses her forbidden magic to save a dying child, she faces the guillotine. Until a dark, mysterious man rescues her from her prison cell. His people need Avry’s magic to save their dying prince. The very prince who first unleashed the plague on Kazan.
Saving the prince is certain to kill Avry – yet she already faces a violent death. Now she must choose – use her healing touch to show the ultimate mercy or die a martyr to a lost cause?
Amazon
Amazon UK
Wow. Maria V. Snyder includes
everything that makes a great high fantasy: a detailed, believable fantasy
world, a gripping plot, likeable characters – and a highly original take on
magic. I can honestly say this is unique!
Avry’s world has recently been
stricken by a plague which has killed two thirds of the population, and the
blame for starting it has fallen on the magical healers. As a healer, Avry has
a bounty on her head, and has to live on the run. When she is caught after
healing a sick child, she faces death – but is rescued by a man named Kerrick
who wants her to heal someone for him. The problem is, the person in question
is that she has every reason to hate Prince Ryne - and healing him will mean
her death.
I was hooked from the first page.
Maria V. Snyder has a gripping narrative style which pulls you in and refuses
to let you go – it certainly isn’t dense like some high fantasy, and the action
is high throughout. I found the world she created really interesting, and I
love the idea that magic doesn’t make one all-powerful, and magicians are
actually worth more dead than alive. The rules are clearly defined: in using
their healing powers, healers take on the injuries themselves. This made for a
more balanced view of magic and I liked the fact that the magic-users are
ordinary people rather than all-powerful magicians.
I liked Avry’s narrative voice.
She’s strong even though she’s suffered, losing her family to the plague and
being persecuted for her powers, and she proves easy to root for. I found
Kerrick an interesting character as his behaviour at first is appalling, but
gradually you begin to see why he is the way he is, and to see a different side
to his character. Snyder creates a team of likeable characters and some shady
villains, but shows that there’s more than one side to everyone, and that people
aren’t necessarily what they seem.
I think I’ve found a new favourite
author to add to my list. I loved this book, and it’s a must for every fantasy
fan. I’ve just received a free copy of the sequel, Scent of Magic, from
Netgalley, and I’ll be diving in right away!
Rating: ****1/2*
Rating: ****1/2*
No comments:
Post a Comment