Fire Angels - Softcover

Routley, Jane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 038079425X ISBN 13: 9780380794256

Publisher: Eos, 1998

Synopsis

The sequel to Mage Heart continues the story of young Renaissance wizard Dion, who returns to her cherished homeland of Moria to find it overrun with marauding Witch Hunters, the demon Fire Angels, and political intrigues. Original.

About this title

About the Author

Jane Routley is an Australia-born writer who mader her litery debut with Mage Heart, followed by its sequel, Fire Angels. She divides her time between her native land and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Reviews

An accomplished fantasy of maturity and depth, Routley's second novel (after Mage Heart) continues the story of Dion Holyhands, raised by a stern foster-father to develop her outstanding magical powers. Here, Dion is reintroduced to the extended family she had lost and continues her coming-of-age, including renewed battle against her lover and foe, the demon Bedazzer. Dion is a strong character, introspective but often misled by self-doubt and guilt. Aided by the gypsylike Wanderers, she finds that her magic has destined her for a central role in the government of her homeland, Moria. While many genre fantasies simply add magic to political intrigue, Routley's are noteworthy for the natural and inevitable intertwining of the two. Here, for instance, different countries prohibit and allow different magics, thereby controlling their citizens. Well-drawn backgrounds and characters add to the appeal, as Routley produces another fantasy that can be read for more than myth or pyrotechnics, accelerating her rise as one of the genre's bright new stars.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sequel to the mass market Mage Heart, continuing the adventures of narrator and mage Dion. As part of the power struggle tearing Moria asunder, the Church of the Burning Light, led by the priest Darmen Stalker, has taken up necromancy (that is, they summon demons). By his control over these demons, Stalker intends to make himself ruler of Moria. Now when young, Dion was taken away from her innkeeper family to be trained as a mage. Suddenly two of her brothers show up (she hasn't seen them for years) with the news that their sister Tasha, beguiled by Stalker, has vanished. Dion cant locate her by magical means, so they must go in search. Stalker, they discover, uses his magic to influence people directly; much worse, he's been feeding on Tasha in order to gain enough power to control his demons. He also wants Dion for his queen. Indeed, Dion finds him attractive (she had previously been drawn to Andre/Bedazzer, another demon in human form). Predictably, Stalker grabs Dion, intending to steal her soul; Dion will need high-powered magical assistance from the Wanderers, or Klementari, a wizardly people determined to reclaim their ancient homeland in Moria. Competently set forth but pedestrian and hackneyed, with some annoyingly obvious borrowings from Tolkien (Moria, Istari, etc.) and a heroine who screams far too much. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

The sequel to Mage Heart (1997) returns mage Dion Holyhands, now a grown woman, to her homeland, Moria. It is menaced by Witch Hunters and Fire Angels, and she is being pursued by an evil mage who wishes to make her his consort and exploit her power. Furthermore, she has far too few friends or allies among Moria's scheming, feuding nobles. The tale that unfolds is as much one of intrigue and romance as of action, which dedicated lovers of action fantasy may find less than ideally rewarding. Those with broader tastes, however, will appreciate respectable pacing, characters that engage one's interest, and noteworthy world building. Routley has created a setting strongly redolent of the European Renaissance rather than the generic medieval Europe that is staple to so many fantasies, and she realizes it with skill and scholarship. Rest assured that we have not seen the last of Moria and Dion, especially considering the number of menaces that continue to hang over them at this romance's conclusion. Roland Green

As the Duke of Gallia's armies stand ready to liberate the neighboring land of Moria from the theocratic tyranny of the Church of the Burning Light, the mage Dion leaves her self-imposed seclusion to do battle with the forces of necromancy that threaten her homeland. Set against a Renaissance-like society of magic and politics, this sequel to Mage Heart (Avon, 1997) depicts a young woman's struggle to balance the needs of her considerable magical powers with her desire for love in a world fraught with duplicity and betrayal. Routley's attention to detail and her gift for creating strong characters make this a good choice for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Eos
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 038079425X
• ISBN 13: 9780380794256
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 436