"Fantastic fantasy adventure!"
Gage was raised in a Solith village by his mother and
father. His father was Solith and his mother SpiritKin.
Even though they lived in a Solith village, the work they
did was SpiritKin and Gage still has some pencyls to
deliver. On this day, his parents were killed and Gage
buried them. Militants had come, three of them, and had
murdered his parents. Now that his parents are gone, Gage
knows he will be told to leave the village. Most Solith do
fear the SpiritKin since they have magic. SpiritKin have
the ability to start fires and control animals. Gage has
one extra bit of magic; he can read what he calls lights.
He can tell a person's mood, if they're lying, and what
they feel by their lights. So Gage takes his father's
spears, some supplies and the ordered pencyls and heads to
the home of Duke Rikard Blaydon, the Lord Governor of
Westgardshire, to collect the money for them. While there,
Gage meets the duke's son Jask, who tries to cheat Gage out
of the promised fee for the pencyls. When Gage catches
Jask, another nobleman, Earl Merrestone, stands up for the
orphan and Gage takes his pay and leaves. Gage is intending
to go to Truthrun, a place his mother had spoken of and has
a good friend who will, hopefully, take Gage in and where
most of the SpiritKin of Nighland now live. On his way to Truthrun, Earl Merrestone seeks Gage out and
asks him to take charge of his two foster sons, Breen and
Daevith. The earl feels the two boys will be safer from the
militants in Truthrun than anywhere else, especially since
he is planning on leaving Nighland himself. This is not
exactly what Gage had in mind, but since the earl was a
friend of his father's, he reluctantly agrees to take the
two nobles with him. Even though Gage can tell Daevith is
slow, he is concerned about Breen. Breen is one person
whose lights Gage can't read. And so the three boys set off
for Truthrun, but the journey is not an easy one when Jask
and other militants come after them. The boys end up
killing all the militants, save Jask, who Gage wounded. Now
Gage knows it was Jask who killed his mother and father and
he vows to kill his parents' murderer. Will the three boys make it to Truthrun? Will they have
help along the way? Will Gage and Jask meet up again?
Exactly who are Breen and Daevith and why is their safety
so important? I, SPIRITKIN is an action-packed fantasy. Frances Evlin
does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life in
this fast-paced tale. We are treated to a glimpse of the
way different classes of people lived in this mythical land
of Nighland. There's something for everyone in this tale—we
have the romance between Gage and Ariona; we have the magic
of the SpiritKin, and we have the fighting going on in the
usurper of the crown's name. This story drew me in from the
very first page and the action just doesn't let up. And
discovering Breen's secret was a true surprise for me. This
is a highly enjoyable fantasy tale you don't want to miss. Posted August 26, 2006
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted January 18, 2007
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He can set fires with his mind, influence the actions of animals, and has the remarkable and unique ability to read auras. Orphaned at age 14, Gage, a SpiritKin, vows to hunt down his parents' murderers and kill them. But standing in the way of his quest for revenge is the heir to the throne, who coerces Gage to use his magic to help return an exiled king to power, and protect the country from foreign invaders. Gage fights not only an outer war but an inner one as well - his SpiritKin ethic of non-violence. Can his heritage save him from completing his acts of revenge? Also available in print Recommended Minimum Age: 16+
Violence Level: Medium
Profanity: Low
Sexual Content: Low
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