Preview Magic Steps
Part of the 8-book Tamora Pierce reissue for Fall 2006, this title in the Circle Opens quartet features spellbinding new cover art. Concides with the release of WILL OF THE EMPRESS in trade pb.
Lady Sandrilene fa Toren knows all about unusual magic--she herself spins and weaves it like thread. But when she witnesses a boy dancing a spell, even she is confounded. To her dismay she gets news of a mysterious murderer stalking a clan of local merchants. The killer employs the strangest magic of all: the ability to reduce essence to nothingness. As the murders mount and the killer grows bolder, Sandry's teaching takes on a grave purpose. It becomes clear to everyone that the killings can only be stopped by the combined magic of two people: the young teacher and her even younger student.
Amazon.com Review"'Magic? Me, do magic?' Magic was a thing of schools and books. No proper Acalon did magic. 'Oh, no--please, you're mistaken, my lady. I'm no mage.'
- Sandry met his eyes squarely. 'You just danced a magical working, Pasco Acalon. I am never mistaken about such things.'"*
Four years after we last saw the young mages Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar in the Circle of Magic quartet, Sandry is back. Now 14 years old, she is helping her great-uncle, Duke Vedris IV, ruler of Emelan, recover after a heart attack. But there's no rest for the weary mage. A mysterious murderer is afoot, and it quickly becomes clear that Sandry and her reluctant young protégé, Pasco, are the only ones who can stop the killings. Unfortunately, Pasco comes from a long line of harriers, or provost's guards, and his burly family does not think highly of a boy who dances magical spells. It takes some fancy footwork to convince Pasco of the need for his special brand of magic, and Sandry is just the girl for the job.
This first title in Tamora Pierce's new series, The Circle Opens, will thrill fans of her terrifically popular previous books, including The Circle of Magic quartet and The Song of the Lioness quartet. With her spellbinding choreography of wit, gore, and intrigue, Pierce never takes a false step. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter
From School Library JournalGrade 5-8-Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, known to readers of the "Circle of Magic" quartet(Scholastic) as Sandry, comes fully into her powers here. Now 14, Sandry is caring for her great-uncle, Duke Vedris of Emelan, after his near-fatal heart attack, when her attention is suddenly seized by two very different events. After witnessing a younger boy, Pasco, unwittingly perform a dance of magical power, she realizes reluctantly that she must take on his magical training before he becomes a danger to himself and others. At the same time, members of a powerful merchant family are being killed one by one by assassins cloaking themselves in "unmagic," or "the absence of all things." Sandry must use all her skill to weave her magic and Pasco's into a force that can overcome the assassins. Readers are immediately plunged into the rich and vibrant atmosphere of Sandry's world, with its merchants, miscreants, and mages. Though the pace of the plot is heart quickening, the admirable heroine remains calm, capable, and always ready to giggle. Violent acts are horrifying but are not graphically described. Fans of the previous quartet and new readers alike will immerse themselves in this thrilling tale of magical intrigue.
Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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