Sword of Fire

May 1, 2020

A dispute over judicial policy snowballs into a larger conflict in the kingdom of Deverry, when the king's advisor allows a man to die rather than hear his grievances. A young scholar, a noble turned mercenary, and a lord's daughter are caught up in the troubles. The first book in a new trilogy revisiting Kerr's long-running "Deverry" series, this is a slow-burn road trip story focusing on the politics of this feudal land, with brief dips into action and magic. It's as much setup for action to come as anything else, but fans of the series will welcome its true to form return. Scottish narrator Ruth Urquhart gives the title a smooth reading with a varied cast of accents. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel" books or Michael J. Sullivan's "Riyria" series.--Jason Puckett, Georgia State Univ. Lib, Atlanta

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In the first in a new fantasy series, narrator Ruth Urquhart continues to apply her skills to Katherine Kerr's tales of the kingdom of Deverry. Collegium student Alyssa embarks on a perilous journey to reveal information that may very well start a war. Urquhart gives believable performances of the characters, even the males. However, her pace is too rapid, and her pauses are too infrequent, impeding the narrative. Nonetheless, Urquhart's voice is listenable, and numerous characters' unique personalities are apparent through their accents and inflections. A.L.S.M. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine