FROM OUR EDITORS

One of military science fiction's most honored practitioners, Lois McMaster Bujold embarks in a new direction. This full-throttled epic fantasy shows that the master of the Miles Vorkosigan novels can shift authorial gears with grace and ease.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"On the eve of the Daughter's Day - the grand celebration that will honor the Lady of Spring, one of the five reigning deities - a man broken in body and spirit makes his way slowly down the road to Valenda. A former courtier and soldier, Cazaril has survived indignity and horrific torture as a slave aboard an enemy galley. Now he seeks nothing more than a menial job in the kitchens of the Dowager Provincara, in the noble household where he served as page in his youth." "But the gods have greater plans for this humbled man. Welcomed warmly, clothed and fed, he is named, to his great surprise, secretary-tutor to the Royesse Iselle - the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is destined to be the next ruler of the land. But the assignment must ultimately carry Cazaril to the one place he fears even more than the sea: to the royal court of Cardegoss, rife with intrigues and lethal treacheries." In Cardegoss, the powerful enemies who once placed Cazaril in chains and bound him to a Roknari oar now occupy the most lofty positions in the realm, beneath only the Roya himself. Yet something far more sinister than their scheming hangs like a sword over the royal family: a curse of the blood that taints not only those who would rule, but those who stand in their circle. The life and future of both Iselle and her entire blighted House of Chalion lie in dire peril. The only recourse left to her loyal, damaged servant is the employment of the darkest and most forbidden of magics - a choice that will indelibly mark Cazaril as a tool of the miraculous... and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death for as long as he dares walk the fivefold pathway of the gods.

SYNOPSIS

On the eve of the Daughter's Day-the grand celebration that will honor the Lady of Spring, one of the five reigning deities-a man broken in body and spirit makes his way slowly down the road to Valenda. A former courtier and soldier, Cazaril has survived indignity and horrific torture as a slave aboard an enemy galley.

FROM THE CRITICS

Robert Jordan

Fresh, intriguing, and as always from Lois McMaster Bujold, superb.

Science Fiction Chronicle

This is one of the great ones.

VOYA

As a former courtier and soldier, the man on the road to Valenda is almost unrecognizable. Broken and scarred, Cazaril has survived the torturous life of a slave in the enemy galleys only to find himself without a home and with only the hope that someone might recognize him and give him shelter in the castle where he once worked as a page. He is taken in and given a job, not in the kitchen or the stables as he had hoped but rather as the personal secretary of the Royesse Iselle, the sister of the next ruler of the land. His hopes of quietly living out the rest of his days are dashed when he becomes inextricably involved in the political intrigue and magical curses that surround the royal family. Cazaril finds himself drawn between the will of the gods and the wills of the men around him as he struggles to assure that the throne will go to a just heir and that the crown will not be thrown to the very men who schemed to enslave him many years before. Subtle yet powerful language raises this fantasy above most others in its genre, making it impossible to put down. The interplay of will and destiny creates a thoughtful novel, while the crashing swords and the dark magical powers make it an exciting read. With its challenging vocabulary and artful writing style, Bujold's latest novel might just be what older Harry Potter fans are yearning for. VOYA CODES:5Q 5P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written;Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday;Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12;Adult and Young Adult). 2001, EOS/HarperCollins, 442p, $25. Ages 15 to Adult. Reviewer:Heather Hepler—VOYA, December 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 5)

Library Journal

Betrayed by an unknown enemy into slavery, former soldier and courtier Lupe dy Cazaril escapes his bondage and returns to the royal household he once served. Entrusted with the teaching of the sister to the heir to the throne of Chalion, Cazaril finds himself drawn into a tangled web of politics and dark magic as he battles a curse that threatens the lives and souls of a family he has come to love. The author of the "Vorkosigan" series of dynastic sf turns her hand as competently and engagingly to the fantasy genre in a tale of quiet heroism and self-sacrifice. Compelling characters and richly detailed world building make this a strong addition to fantasy collections. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal