Since she was a child, Pierrette has been gifted by the goddess Ma with a vision of Minho, the King of the Fortunate Isles. In the scenario, she would journey there when she was of age, flirt with him, and be his bride. Now the goddess has appeared to Pierrette, telling her to kill the king in order to save him, a most confusing set of orders. An interesting concept here is that magic flourishes with the pagan's tradition of telling it aloud. Now that the Christians are writing it down, it has the effect of a spell in a book, permanently setting it into whatever form the Christians assign to it. The goddess intends Minho to remain a powerful legend, before the Christians can write him up as an ordinary man, robbing him of magic. Pierrette is doubtful at first, but does as she is bidden. Traveling by boat to the Fortunate Isles, she is indeed greeted by Minho and her vision of calling up a storm and his proposal do happen, but with different overtones and interpretations. She is troubled by the vacant existence of the residents of the Fortunate Isles. In order for Minho's spell to keep the Fortunate Isles free of death and disease, nothing on the island can change. But things have begun to unravel, and Pierrette must try to interpret the will of the goddess before the coming destruction overruns everything in its past. Leisurely paced, filled with casual magic and loosely based on familiar Ancient World history, this is an entertaining story for admirers of epic fantasy. KLIATT Codes: JSA￯﾿ﾽRecommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Baen, 430p. map.,