Synopsis
The royal city of Astreiant, the capital of the Kingdom of Chenedolle, is bracing itself for the influx of people, money, and trouble that invariably accompanies the Midsummer Fair. For Nicolas Rathe, the wiry, street-smart pointsman with a strong sense of justice, the fair means more work: keeping the peace, preventing the pickpockets from getting too bold, and tracking down runaway youths and apprentices. But this year the number of missing children is far larger than usual; someone has been stealing them away without a trace and the populace is getting angry. At least the children are alive, Rathe knows, even though it adds to the mystery; the necromancers have not noticed any new ghosts of children.
To complicate matters, the citizens have another good reason to be anxious: theirs is a world ruled by the stars, and the heavens are now in a transition that heralds an upheaval in the Kingdom and possibly even the death of the reigning Queen. Contenders for the throne are jockeying for position, each claiming that her stars are the luckiest and most suited for the position.
Rathe suspects that the astrological portents and the missing children are linked, but has no idea how. With the unlikely help of Philip Eslingen, a handsome, out-of-work soldier, Rathe must find the children and stop whatever dark plans are being hatched before the city explodes into chaos.
Reviews
This new collaborative effort by Scott and Barnett, like their first (The Armor of Light), is a well-researched medieval fantasy told in a literate and urbane mannerist style. Rathe-a handsome, young, incorruptible pointsman (basically, a police detective)-is given the nearly impossible task of trying to discover why the children of the town of Point of Hopes are being spirited away in droves, and where they are being taken. For assistance, he enlists the aid of both an out-of-work soldier, Phillip Eslinger, and the necromancer Istre b'Estorr. Astrology, necromancy, greed and power struggles all play major roles as Rathe attempts to find the children before a major astrological brings about a foretold catastrophe. Set in an alternative Middle Ages where the authors' intricate world-building only occasionally overshadows their plotting, this novel, though not fast-paced, offers intriguing looks at guild interrelationships, the uses of hand-cranked printing presses and medieval attitudes toward magic. It also offers considerable delight to those who enjoy intellectual puzzles of the fantastic kind.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
It is the time of the annual fair in the city of Astreion, and a major astrological conjunction is approaching and heralding the advent of a new monarch. At this time--of all times--children start disappearing. Where are they going? Is the new monarch connected with the disappearances? Can the police and assorted odd civilians find the children before the city explodes? Like Scott and Barnett's previous collaboration, The Armor of Light (1987), this book features good writing, good characterization, and exceedingly superior world building. Astreion has a marvelous lived-in quality, and most of the characters are ordinary middle-class citizens, not members of either the fantastic elite or the hyperrealistic underclass that are both so prevalent in fantasy these days. Place this one high in the just-plain-good-reading category. Roland Green
An epidemic of missing children throws the city of Astreiant into a state of panic. Ex-soldier Philip Eslingen and beleaguered pointsman (police officer) Nicholas Rathe are drawn into a complex web of magic and deceit. The coauthors of The Armor of Light (Baen Bks., 1988) have combined their storytelling talents to produce a satisfying blend of mystery and fantasy. Strong, likable protagonists and a vividly detailed supporting cast bring an emotional veracity to this well-wrought tale. A priority addition to any library's fantasy collection.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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