"The incredible sequel to MAGICK"
This book, MORE THAN MAGICK, is the continuation of the
story of Win and Diana Sayre, which was begun in MAGICK. Win is a mage of the Balance, a kind of religion, based on
magick that worships the Goddess. He recently found his
lifemate, Diana, an Adept, who is a very rare member of the
Balance that is able to practice all kinds of magick. When a Healer Apprentice, Carla, disrupts the Balance by
being kidnapped out of the Ocean Magick stronghold in Rhode
Island, and horribly abused, Win is selected to be the
temporary Guardian there, as the old one failed at
protecting everyone. His first tasks are to find Carla and
bring her home safely, and to strengthen the protection on
the stronghold so that can't happen again. Diana's Sight
dreams assist in finding Carla, though they aren't able to
determine who the abductor is... until later. While Win is learning his new job as Guardian, finally
reaching his dreams, Diana is adjusting to life in the
Balance, still refusing to worship Goddess because She
forced Diana into a very unhappy life growing up, reason
being that Diana needed that to learn strength and fully
appreciate her gifts and accept the Balance. Win and Diana
are also still learning to grow together as lifemates,
their conflicting views causing much tension between them,
on the brink of tearing them apart. When Sulis, Win's sister is drawn into the web of the man
who abducted Carla, destroying her mind in the process, Win
and Diana must put their differences regarding Goddess
aside so as to rescue Su from the evil man who has her.
Diana must also come to terms with her feelings and decide
once and for all if she will dedicate her life to Goddess
and the Balance. This tale is first and foremost a love story, the
continuation of Win and Diana's growth as a couple and
their love for one another and their acceptance of each
others' beliefs and dreams. The characters, not just these
two, but all of them, are skillfully rendered and fully
developed. One learns what makes them be whom they are,
focusing on back-story just enough to understand their
reasons for being as they are. There is plenty of plot to be found, the character driven
storyline of Win and Diana's relationship, as well as the
action driven plot surrounding Carla's kidnapping and
resulting trauma, and Su's relationship with the villain.
Magick, of course, is a key element in all the plotlines,
in the form of a good vs. evil struggle with a twist. Ms. Taffs once again lovingly creates the Realm of the
Balance, showing her attention to detail and her vivid
imagination by crafting a world of magick, love, and
beauty, that the reader can't help but be drawn into, never
wanting to leave. This reviewer loved her second visit to
the Balance, hoping there will be more books from the pen
of Mary Taffs, and future visits to such an incredible
world. This story will convince the reader that MORE THAN
MAGICK can be found everywhere, if only one looks for it. The reader will be captured for the very first gripping
scene, vivid and detailed, and not let go until the end,
riding through a roller coaster of adventure and love, all
the way to the incredible climax. One does not have to read
the prequel, MAGICK, to follow the story, but it will fill
in some of the recent history leading to events happening
here, making this story all the more intriguing. © Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2003. All rights reserved.
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 11, 2006
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Diana can't forgive Goddess; Win can't forget that Diana's
an Adept. When evil threatens the Balance, will the
lifemates need more than magick? More Than Magick is the stand-alone sequel to EPPIE2003
Finalist Magick. The highly-acclaimed fantasy romance
Magick follows Diana into the world of the Balance, where
magick is used to uphold good in the service of Goddess.
There Diana learns she has previously-unsuspected magickal
ability, and that Win, the Mage who's been protecting her,
is her lifemate, the other half of her soul. More Than Magick continues Diana's journey. She and Win are
now lifemates, but the Balance is still a puzzling and
disturbing world to her. Will she ever truly fit in? Does
she even want to? Meanwhile, Win has challenges of his own. The job of his
dreams is now his, and he must learn to deal with a whole
new set of responsibilities while his Stronghold is in
danger. A Guardian has lost his magick and a young woman
has been kidnapped. Are these events related, and what is
their significance? Win and Diana must find these answers. They also must
discover the incredible power of their lifemate bond.
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