A Distant Magic

April 23, 2007
N
ear the start of this diverting romantic fantasy set in 1753, the third Guardians novel from bestseller Putney (after 2005’s Stolen Magic
), Nikolai Gregorio, a handsome pirate captain operating in the Mediterranean, kidnaps pretty red-haired Jean Macrae, a member of the Scottish branch of the Guardians (humans with magical powers derived from nature), in revenge for a wrong he thinks her father did him 20 years earlier. A decent sort who possesses limited magical powers, Nikolai is dedicated to fighting the evil of slavery by freeing galley slaves. He even sets up an island refuge for them. After Adia Adams, a freed slave, travels back in time from 1787 London, the pirate and the fiery Scotswoman find themselves on a dangerous magical mission to strengthen the fledgling abolitionist movement. The mix of magic, time travel, history, adventure, romance and social consciousness will delight series fans, but may strike some readers as an incongruous blend.

June 15, 2007
In Marseilles to attend a wedding, Scottish Guardian Jean Macrae is snatched by dashing corsair Nikolai Gregorio, imprisoned aboard his ship, and threatened with being sold into slavery, all because Nikolai has a grudge against her family. But when Jean is able to meld her weather magic with Nikolai's wild powers and save the ship from foundering in a storm, they head for his shielded island retreat, Santolo. Yet change is coming from another direction, and as Adia magically arrives on Santolo from the future, Nikolai and Jean are drawn into a fight against slavery that tests their powers, their resolve, and their growing love as they travel through time and possibly to their doom. Magic and traditions of all kinds, an abundance of well-delineated characters, and fascinating historical and political detail make this the most complex and unusual of Putney's ("The Marriage Spell") Guardian tales to date. She lives near Baltimore.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
When Nikolai Grigori is a homeless urchin in Malta, the visiting Macrae of Dunrath recognizes his magical powersand offers to foster him. But on the voyage to England they are attacked by pirates, andMacrae does nothing to stopthem from taking Nikolaias a slave. Years later Nikolaiexacts revenge by kidnapping the late Macraesdaughter. Jean, a Guardian, saves the day, first when their ship is attacked by pirates, and later when she addsher magic to Nikolais to survive a horrifying storm. Adia, a woman from the future who survived the Middle Passage and went to England at the end of the American Revolution, turns up on Nikolais private island, Santola, with the message that Jean and Nikolai must travel to the future to ensure the success of the abolition movement. As they travel through time, they use both African and Guardian magic and discover the synergistic effect of intimacy on their paranormal powers. Notthepage-turning escapist fare readers usually expect from Putney, this tale features admirable characters anda fascinating approach to slavery and the abolition movement.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)