Book Description
Magic and the force of destiny propelled Bridget Lederle across the void between worlds, through the Land of Death and Spirit, to the world of Isavalta, where she discovered secrets about herself and her family that had been hidden since before her birth. It seems like only yesterday that a charismatic stranger swept her from her home on the shore of Lake Superior and took her on an impossible journey to a strange, bejeweled world where sorcery could spring from the simplest of patterns, with most serious effect.
In Isavalta she also discovered magical powers she had never suspected she possessed before her transit between the worlds. More than self-knowledge has changed her: she is in love with Sakra, a powerful sorcerer and her staunch ally. And she learns that her daughter, who she thought was lost to her, is alive.
But that daughter is also the pawn in a dangerous game of power and politics. The powerful spells of a ruler intent on conquest threaten to destroy both mother and daughter. Torn between the contending forces of magic and empire, Bridget lives an extraordinary adventure replete with unimaginable dangers. Beset by enemies on all sides, she must rely on the aid of supernatural forces she can't control, lest she be destroyed by a fate she cannot imagine.
From the Back Cover
Praise for the Isavalta novels of Sarah Zettel
"Zettel has the many strands of her complex story well in hand as she weaves her storyteller's magic."
--VOYA
"A Sorcerer's Treason is a sumptuous tale of subtle magic, malevolent sorcery, and twisted loyalties where nothing is as it first appears---I can guarantee you won't regret venturing into Sarah Zettel's world."
--Sara Douglass, author of The Wayfarer Redemption
"Romance readers should welcome this one as eagerly as fantasy fans."
--Publishers Weekly on The Usurper's Crown
"A Sorcerer's Treason is a gem of a book, artfully blending the windswept magic of late nineteenth-century Lake Superior with that of the mystical realm of Isavalta. Sarah Zettel's vision of both places is keen, her world-building refreshing and original, her plot unpredictable, and her characters multi-dimensional. The journeys across time, layers of court intrigue, haunting magic, and crisp depiction of setting make for an extremely enjoyable read."
--Elizabeth Haydon, author of Rhapsody
"This sweet-tempered melodrama will appeal mainly to younger female fantasy fans, who will be sure to welcome the forthcoming sequel."
--Publishers Weekly on A Sorcerer's Treason
"Complicated court intrigue is brought alive in a setting, enriched by research in Russian folklore and magiclore, for a very cleverly woven fantasy. A good read indeed."
--Andre Norton
About the Author
Sarah Zettel's novel Reclamation won the Locus Award for the Best First Novel, won the Locus Award for Best First SF Novel. Her novel Fool's War was runner-up for the Philip K. Dick Award for Best Paperback Original SF novel. She lives with her growing family outside Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Firebird's Vengeance FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Magic and the force of destiny propelled Bridget Lederle across the void between worlds, through the Land of Death and Spirit, to the world of Isavalta, where she discovered secrets about herself and her family that had been hidden since before her birth. It seems like only yesterday that a charismatic stranger swept her from her home on the shore of Lake Superior and took her on an impossible journey to a strange, bejeweled world where sorcery could spring from the simplest of patterns, with most serious effect." "In Isavalta she also discovered magical powers she had never suspected she possessed before her transit between the worlds. More than self-knowledge has changed her: she is in love with Sakra, a powerful sorcerer and her staunch ally. And she learns that her daughter, who she thought was lost to her, is alive." But that daughter is also the pawn in a dangerous game of power and politics. The powerful spells of a ruler intent on conquest threaten to destroy both mother and daughter. Torn between the contending forces of magic and empire, Bridget lives an extraordinary adventure replete with unimaginable dangers. Beset by enemies on all sides, she must rely on the aid of supernatural forces she can't control, lest she be destroyed by a fate she cannot imagine.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In Sarah Zeitel's absorbing The Firebird's Vengeance: A Novel of Isavalta, the third in this well-received fantasy series, Bridget Lederle, now a court sorcerer, seeks her daughter, Anna, while the Firebird seeks revenge for its 30-year confinement by the Empress Meleoan. Readers unfamiliar with the previous books will find the character-driven action easy to follow. Agent, Shawna McCarthy. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Lured by the promises of a charismatic stranger, Bridget Lederle left her home in Wisconsin and crossed the Land of Death and Spirit to the realm of Isavalta, where she found herself part of the intricate politics and sorceries of the imperial household. Years later, Bridget has seen a change in rulers and the freeing of a captive creature, the magical Firebird. She has also learned that her daughter, who she thought had died in infancy, might still be alive. Zettel's third installment in her epic "Isavalta" Series (A Sorcerer's Treason) is at one and the same time a finely drawn portrait of a strong woman's devotion to those who love her and a tale of spirits finally put to rest. For most fantasy collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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