A TOUCH OF STONE AND SNOW

A soldier exiled from her home will do anything to restore her reputation.

Years ago, a band of wraiths killed an entire field of Kothans in battle, and Lizzan was the only soldier who survived. The people of Koth refused to believe her tale of mythological wraiths; instead, they concluded she hid like a coward, branded her a traitor, and shunned her. Forced to wander and work as a mercenary, Lizzan avoids anyone who reminds her of home. In particular, she is running to avoid Aerax, a prince of Koth and her former best friend. Aerax is searching for her and hoping to reconcile, but she cannot forgive him for agreeing to send her into exile. Convincing rumors claim that the Destroyer, a mysterious evil entity, is returning to the western realms with a more powerful, destructive army. Aerax has a plan to save the people of Koth while Lizzan decides to go on a quest for the goddess Vela in a last-ditch effort to clear her name—which, she is appalled to learn, requires her to serve as Aerax’s protector. As they spend time together on the road, they find themselves unable to resist the previous bonds of friendship and attraction they had for each other. The first half of the novel gets bogged down with the mythology and history of the western realms and the binary choices characters face between never and always, good and evil, insider and outcast. Lizzan and Aerax eventually resume their relationship, revealing their secrets and becoming lovers. The book picks up in the second half, but the conflict is all external, with outside forces interrupting and threatening the couple.

Slower pacing and too much exposition weigh down the second installment of Vane's series.