Crown of Renewal

April 21, 2014
The concluding volume of the Paladin’s Legacy fantasy quintet (after Limits of Power) is far more cerebral than action-focused, with layered plots tying up most of the threads among the main characters. Kieri and Arian, king and queen of Lyonya, are figuring out just how special their elven-blooded twin children are, and they must defend themselves and their newly-established elvenhome against an old villain Kieri thought long dead. Former thief Arvid Semminson is getting more responsibility than he bargained for, just in time to come to the aid of magic-wielding children threatened with murder. Duke Dorrin Verrakai of Tsaia is forced to make an almost certainly one-way trek to the wasteland of Aare, where many of her world’s legends began. The wrap-ups with longtime nemesis Alured the Black and Kieri’s enemy feel a bit too easy given all that’s come before, but otherwise the conclusions are satisfying and almost meditative amid multiple new beginnings. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary Agency.

Starred review from May 1, 2014
Final entry (Limits of Power, 2013, etc.) in the Paladin's Legacy series.Once again, rather than a monolithic existential threat, multitudinous intrigues and designs move the story forward. Arian, wife of Lyonya's King Kieri, poisoned by an iynisin (evil elf-mage) blade, languishes, while Kieri, warned by Dragon to release mages trapped in the past, needs to discover his innate Old Human magic. In neighboring Tsaia, iynisin attack and grievously wound King Mikeli's brother, Camwyn; Dragon is willing to heal Camwyn, but the price is that Mikeli may never see his brother again. Mage powers continue to appear in both nobles and commoners-a development opposed so vehemently by traditionalists that they are prepared to murder children to stamp it out. Jandelir Arcolin finds himself preoccupied with the gnomes who have declared him their prince, their all-encompassing Law and their concern for the Law's correct application. Mikeli wonders what the iynisin intruders were after and concludes they sought the mysterious sentient regalia that reposes in a box that none save former mercenary Dorrin, Duke Verrakai, may open or even move. The regalia itself orders Dorrin to take the box on a perilous quest to a distant land, a journey that Dorrin herself does not expect to survive. Moon offers convincingly realized characters persuasively shaped by the extraordinary richness, depth and texture of the world they inhabit and the low-key yet knotty problems they must confront. So mesmerizing is the narrative that it's a sad surprise having to emerge into the mundane world at story's end. While fully satisfying, this conclusion leaves ample scope for further embellishment or spinoffs: excellent news for all concerned.Such is the allure of an extremely talented writer at the height of her powers.

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May 15, 2014
The final volume of Paladin's Legacy series, this novel attempts to wrap up most of the lingering story threads from previous volumes. Elves, demons, warped magicians, ancient artifacts, time travel, and an agrarian-based society make for an evocative story. Magic is showing up in families who have never had it before, destabilizing large regions of the world. The weather is becoming dryer, with no relief in sight, causing the specter of crop failures and famine. Dark forces are appearing and becoming more frequent and stronger than ever before. All of the main characters are forced to make heartrending decisions as they deal with their own personal responsibilities and noblesse oblige. The depth of each character's emotions and the continued intricacy of the political, social, and magical interactions show the author's writing power. This book will please those who are familiar with the history of Paksenarrion the Paladin but will still leave readers hoping for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)