THE DEFIANT HEIR

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.