Wild Magic: Bk. 2 (Fool's Gold S.) - Softcover

Fisher, Jude

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743461282 ISBN 13: 9780743461283

Publisher: Earthlight, 2003

Synopsis

Book Two in Jude Fisher's acclaimed FOOL'S GOLD trilogy Magic has returned to Elda, creating all manner of wonders and terrors. None yet know that the source of this magic is the legendary Rosa Eldi, restored to the world, but not yet restored to herself. Unaware of her true nature, she has married King Ravn Asharson of the North, and now with usurpers and assassins circling she must conceive a child to establish the succession. In the Southern Empire, the fire of holy war is smouldering and violence is everywhere, fuelled by fundamentalist hatred and bigotry. Caught up in these machinations, peace-loving Saro Vingo is forced to take up arms against the North; and Virelai, apprentice sorcerer, finds himself chained to the murderous plans of his master, Tycho Issian. Ignoring his king's call to arms, Aran Aranson, chief of the Rockfall clan, is in the grip of a mad obsession borne of a magical map and dreams of sailing the frozen seas to Sanctuary, island of legend, to find a fortune. His daughter, Katla, dreams of sailing with him; but her fate lies elsewhere. All over Elda, forces are aligning themselves for good or for evil. There is magic in the world again, but it is wild and u

About this title

About the Author

Jude Fisher is a pseudonym for Jane Johnson, publishing director of HarperCollins' SF imprint, Voyager. She holds two literature degrees, specializing in Anglo Saxon and Old Icelandic texts, and is also a qualified lecturer. For the last twenty years, Jane has been the publisher of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and is the author of the official Visual Companions to Peter Jackson's movie trilogy of THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

From Publishers Weekly

Banished centuries before with the imprisonment of the gods, the magic continues to return, slowly, to the land of Elda in Fisher's densely plotted sequel to Sorcery Rising (2002). Juggling six major plot lines, the book covers the landscape of Elda from frozen north to volcanic south. In between, the seafaring Eyran islanders try to keep their Viking-like culture from falling under the domination of the more populous, Italianate Kingdom of Istria. Katla Aransen, swordmaker and daughter to Aran Aranson, lord of Rockfall, finds that her ability to commune with the earth forces her to accept a destiny not of her own choosing. Her father, less blessed, tries to make his fortune in an ill-fated expedition to the far north. Meanwhile, avatars of the captive gods move toward the center of the brewing war between Eyra and Istria. In addition to the large and somewhat unwieldy cast, with multiple links among them, Fisher fills the book with historical asides, myths, songs and folklore. But even if certain problems remain unresolved, the plot does advance. Noticeably, characters react according to their cultural backgrounds, providing the kingdoms and peoples with some sense of individuality. Nor are the obvious heroes or villains without both flaws and virtues. If the whole seems too close to romanticized history, it compensates with engaging details and strong female characters.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Earthlight
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0743461282
• ISBN 13: 9780743461283
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 572