The Defiant Heir

June 15, 2018
The second volume of a political fantasy series (The Tethered Mage, 2017) in which the noble, scholarly heroine hails from a magic-wielding city reminiscent of Venice.The Witch Lords of Vaskandar appear ready to make war on the Serene Empire of Raverra. Many powerful Falcons--the mages conscripted to serve the Empire--and the Falconers responsible for controlling their magic are disappearing. Lady Amalia Cornaro seeks both the missing Falcons and a political solution to the impending conflict. Set against her are a newly discovered nemesis, the Witch Lord called the Lady of Thorns, who has a vendetta against Amalia's family; and the amoral Vaskandran Skinwitch Prince Ruven, who plans to use the volcano Mount Whitecrown as a weapon of conquest. Her allies include her reluctant Falcon, the fire warlock Zaira; the Falconer captain Marcello, the politically unsuitable man Amalia loves; and Amalia's new suitor, the mercurial Witch Lord Kathe of Let, an attractive but decidedly unreliable man with several agendas. Amalia's path to maturity continues in this installment, her romantic and political turmoil deepening. The choices she regretfully makes for political expediency wound her conscience, but she still makes them. It will be interesting to see just how far she'll be willing to go in service of the Serene Empire and whether she'll come to openly enjoy her political position. It's certain that she's getting closer to a moral and ethical crossroads; one hopes that the author will continue not to flinch at that point. And while physical and magical strength play a definite role in carrying the story forward, Amalia triumphs through her wits, savvy, and book learning--an inspiration for geeks everywhere.A satisfyingly action-packed and bittersweet follow-up which promises more to come.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 15, 2018
After the events of The Tethered Mage (2017), Amalia Cornaro is adapting to being Falconer to Zaira, the only warlock known to (mostly) control balefire, while learning the role she must play as the Cornaro heir. Amalia and Zaira are sent on a diplomatic mission from Raverra to Callamorne, visiting Amalia's grandmother and cousins while reassuring the Callamornish people that their alliance with Raverra will protect them from the 17 Witch Lords of Vaskandar. To complicate matters, Amalia finds herself courting Kathe, one of the Witch Lords, hoping to gain an ally and an invitation to their Conclave, while still longing for forbidden romance with another Falconer. Not only is she unsure of Kathe, the Lady of Thorns (another Witch Lord) harbors a hatred for Amalia's entire family, and Prince Ruven returns and appears to be involved in the disappearance of several falcons. Amalia's coming-of-age story continues as she more fully understands the decisions that come with ruling, a destiny she cannot seem to avoid.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)