THE FIFTH SORCERESS

Former economist Newcomb’s first entry in a projected trilogy, the Chronicles of Blood and Stone, takes as its central device “endowed blood,” a bloodline that links an individual with the ability to use magic. Four sorceresses, found guilty of pillage, rape, and murder in their quest for endowed blood to match their own, are abandoned in the Sea of Whispers by Wigg, head of the Directorate of Wizards in the Kingdom of Eutracia. Wigg is still top wiz 327 years later when Prince Tristan is about to turn 30 and inherit Eutracia’s throne. Tristan, whose blood streams with endowments, wants to race through his 30-year reign, get his wizard training, and join the Directorate. But he has no future queen to give him a son for the throne. Symbols pile up: the magic Paragon stone worn by the king; the Tome of the Paragon, a book of magic few can read; the rival magics of the light Vigors and dark Vagaries; the Cave of the Dragon; the naming of Tristan and pregnant twin sister Shailiha as the Chosen Ones. Then comes the sorceress Natasha, sister to the banished four, who lives disguised as a duchess and lusts to mingle her endowed blood with the Chosen One’s. Will she seduce/rape Tristan to produce a Morgan le Fay? Or is Shailiha’s baby the super-sorceress-to-be?

An intelligent debut, possibly headed for bestsellerdom.