By Sandy Amazeen Feb 19, 2007, 3:38 GMT
Return to the strange world of Ephemera, introduced in Sebastian, the first book of the series that featured different landscapes connected by bridges that didn’t necessarily take travelers to their intended destination. This time around, the story centers on Sebastian’s cousin Glorinanna Belladonna, a very rare and talented young woman who holds the key to saving Ephemera from the dark machinations of The Eater of the World. Labeled a rogue, Belladonna’s powers cross the accepted boundaries hence she is despised by the very people who most need her help as hearts are poisoned and the world begins falling into shadow. She fears she will forever be an outsider, alone and reviled.
Michael is a Magician, able to shape luck and music to suit the needs of those around him but those same powers keep him forever on the move as humans begin to mistrust his abilities. He begins dreaming of a beautiful sorceress even as he hears a voice tell him “Heart’s hope lies within Belladonna”, it is a riddle he is determined to solve, must solve if Ephemera is to be saved from falling into darkness forever as the landscapes become corrupted. The true test of Michael’s love and magic will be finding a way to build Belladonna a bridge of healing that might bring her back from a bleak, hopeless landscape to a place where hearts wishes can come true.
This enjoyable if slow-paced story uses the basic elements of good vs. evil and maligned misfits coming into their own to create a complex if predictable read. The concept of different landscapes and bridges brings a unique aspect to the mix of incubus, magicians, assorted witches and ultimate darkness that is Ephemera.
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