Wrapt in Crystal - Softcover

Shinn, Sharon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0441007147 ISBN 13: 9780441007141

Publisher: Ace, 2000

Synopsis

With the planet's religious groups being victimized by a serial killer, an Interfed agent must go undercover among the ascetics to save the lives of two spiritually gifted women. Reprint.

About this title

Review:

Wrapt in Crystal examines religious faith and the nature of love while providing a riveting murder mystery. Shinn's setting is the desert planet Semay, whose culture and language are mostly Spanish, with some French and Italian influences. Here, two orders of priestesses worship the goddess Ava: the Triumphantes, who live in worldly comfort and celebrate her with joy; and the Fideles, who renounce wealth to serve the poor and see her as the comforter of the hungry, the sick, and the sorrowful.

A serial killer is murdering members of both orders alternately, and Semay has asked Interfed, an alliance of federated planets with an elite peacekeeping force called the Moonchildren, for assistance. Cowen Drake, the Moonchild assigned, is under pressure to solve the case quickly, impressing Semay with the benefits of joining Interfed and keeping the priestesses safe. Though he has lost his own faith, Drake sets out to understand the victims, the orders, and the role of religion in Semay. His guides are the powerful, charismatic Jovieve, head of the Triumphantes, and the self-abnegating, dedicated Laura.

Readers will find the characters compelling, the suspense taut, and the developing love story moving. If you enjoyed Shinn's Samaria trilogy, you shouldn't miss this one. --Nona Vero

About the Author:

Sharon Shinn is a journalist who works for a trade magazine. Her first novel, The Shapechanger's Wife, was selected by  Locus as the best first fantasy novel of 1995. She has won the William C. Crawford Award for Outstanding New Fantasy Writer, and was twice nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has lived in the Midwest most of her life.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ace
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0441007147
• ISBN 13: 9780441007141
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 335