WIND IN THE STONE

New, multigenerational fantasy from the grand dame of the genre (Scent of Magic, 1998, etc.). The evil and ambitious young wizard Irasmus fools his teachers at the Place of Learning into thinking him ignorant and harmless. Then he steals some books of magic, summons a squad of gobbes—horrid demons—and takes up residence in the Tower in Styrmer. Long ago a battle between the Dark and the Light was fought here, resulting in the Covenant that binds all magical forces, including the Wind and its manifestation, the Forest Lady, to noninterference. Irasmus enslaves the people and arranges for young Sulema to give birth to a magic-capable son whom he aims to control. Before she dies, though, Sulema delivers Fogar—who is grabbed by Irasmus—and then, unknown to Irasmus, a daughter. Falice is sent into the forest to be fostered by the nonhuman Sasqua and the Wind. But, with some subtle and judicious interventions by Irasmus’s erstwhile teachers, the Mages, Fogar is able to resist his master’s attempts to enslave him. So, while Irasmus prepares to summon Vastor, a hideous Great One, hoping for an alliance, the Mages, Fogar, Fogar’s magic-touched cousin Cerlyn, and Falice conspire with the Wind to oppose him. Standard fare, with lots of appeal to Norton’s appreciative audience.