RISE OF A HERO

Magnificent second entry in a rich, deep series about the land of Farsala’s battle with the occupying Hrum army. Soraya, a noble before the invasion, works anonymously as a servant for the enemy until recognized and branded as a slave. Jiann, half noble and half peasant, gathers a secret army in the hills, desperate to reclaim the land and avenge his father’s military death. Kavi, a clever and crippled Farsalan peddler who spied for the Hrum, returns to Farsala’s side and wreaks havoc on the occupying force anywhere possible. The author sprinkled a hero legend into the series opener, and here she expands it brilliantly in unexpected ways as Soraya (secretly practicing djinn magic learned from desert-dwellers), Kavi and Jiann fight to regain Farsala. She weaves top-notch storytelling with texture and complexity (emotional, social, political and mythological). The conclusion beckons, but this installment is satisfyingly substantial meanwhile. (map) (Fantasy. YA)