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"Terrific dark fantasy"

Kept alive by the magic of the Quickening, warrior Wyl Thirsk witnessed ruthless King Celimus of Morgravia kill Myrren the Witch; the person who gave him his paranormal skill to switch bodies. He vows vengeance while he resides inside his third body that of Faryl the female assassin. Romen Koreldy had killed Wyl's body, which due to Myrren's Quickening enabled the deceased to move his soul inside his "conqueror". When Faryl killed Wyl's second body that once belonging to Romen, he moved inside her flesh. In each case he kept his memories expanded by that of the body he uses.

King Celimus plans to conquer neighboring Briavel either by marrying Queen Valentyna or invasion. Concluding that her country will be slaughtered in a war, Valentyna ponders marriage to the insane abusive Celimus, which she believes would be worse than death, but also fears the outcome to her people if the vicious soldiers of Morgravia attacked. Wyl continues his search for his sister, his desire to return to his beloved beleaguered queen, his need to kill Celimus, and finally trying to understand the Quickening.

This terrific dark fantasy will get fans to believe in sorcery especially the Quickening but to better understand what is going on especially with the magic, new readers should start with book one, MYRENN'S GIFT. The story line is action-packed as Celimus puts in motion his scheme to annex his neighbor while Wyl in a female's body (interesting psychological twist) struggles with several potentially conflicting objectives. Readers will question his thinking skills because he makes the same fundamental errors which places him in unnecessary jeopardy, but that cranks up the excitement so that the audience has a fabulous saga to follow.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 24, 2005

Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 25, 2007

It is the tale of Wyl Thirsk, the young general of the Morgravian Legion and the frighteningly strange turns his life takes when he is inadvertently touched by magic.

To save two kingdoms from a despot's rule, one man must journey into the unknown, seeking answers to the strange and powerful secret that so plagues him.

Wyl Thirsk, loyal soldier of Morgravia, has seen his best friend slain, his sister tortured, and his mentor sent to certain death, all at the hands of his sovereign, the cruel and manipulative King Celimus. Now Celimus, believing himself to be rid of the "moral constraints" of the Thirsk influence, has turned his greedy eye to expansion ... and Morgravia's neighboring kingdom, ruled by the spirited but inexperienced Queen Valentyna. As Celimus pressures Valentyna into a doomed political marriage, Wyl endeavors desperately to preserve both the honor of his country and the freedom of the woman he loves.

But fate has other plans for him. Despite his friends and loved ones becoming increasingly tangled in the evil machinations of King Celimus, though war with the dread Northern Kingdom appears imminent and Valentyna is poised to succumb to Morgravia's oily rule, Wyl must leave behind all he knows and cares about and travel into the land from which none return, seeking out the bestower of Myrren's sinister gift.