MAGIC STEPS

In vibrant language and with great energy, Pierce spins out the story of Sandry (Circle of Magic, 1997) for the Circle Opens quartet. At 14, Lady Sandrilene—Sandry—has endured the loss of her family, danger, and tragedy, but she has mastered her magic, which she can spin and knot and weave like thread. She’s staying with her great uncle, the Duke, trying to keep him from overwork after an illness, and cheering him with her spirit and sharp mind. She will exert both in the face of two events: a family of unscrupulous merchants is being slaughtered under the very noses of their protectors; and a local boy named Pasco is mightily resisting his own magic. Sandry must begin to teach Pasco, and does so by enlisting her own teacher and one of the most famous dancers of the realm. While there is darkness and violence, Sandry works with strength and confidence to overcome them, secure in the love of her uncle and her teachers. It ends well, and with the promise of more stirring tales to come. (Fiction. 10-13)