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Read A Sorcerer's Treason (2003)

A Sorcerer's Treason (2003)

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Series
Rating
3.5 of 5 Votes: 4
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ISBN
0765343746 (ISBN13: 9780765343741)
Language
English
Publisher
tor books

A Sorcerer's Treason (2003) - Plot & Excerpts

What I like most about this book – series, in fact – is the unusual setting. So many fantasy books are set in the same sort of western European, pseudo-medieval setting. These books begin in late nineteenth-century America but the majority of the story takes place in an alternate world made up of cultures drawn from Russian, Indian and Chinese history. Immediately the world feels richer, more colourful and infinitely more interesting than many books I’ve read in recent years.Furthermore, some elements of real-world mythology are woven into the plot. Our characters – Bridget Lederle, the woman who didn’t know she was a sorceress, and the sorcerers Kalami and Sakra – periodically visit The Land of Death and Spirit, a sort of alternate plane ruled by the Great Powers. Baba Yaga is one of these, in her chicken-legged house, and fox-spirits play an important role in the story. The dangers and trickiness of this place are well presented; it’s easy to appreciate that in this world, magic is not something which everyone would love to have, but in fact deeply dangerous.The characters are excellent. Bridget herself borders on a touch of cliche – she’s unwittingly the world’s most powerful sorceress, if only she knew how to use it – but she’s complex enough to seem real. It’s easy to identify with Empress Ananda, supposedly the most powerful woman in the empire of Isavalta but rendered powerless and afraid. But I was most impressed with the dowager empress, Medeoan, a villain without meaning to be. She’s one of the most complicated and interesting characters I’ve come across in some time.The tangle of politics, magic and individual desires makes for an intriguing tale and there are some good twists in the plot. This book still deserves a place among my top favourite fantasy novels.

Bridget Lederle is the lighthouse keeper on Sand Island, Wisconsin in 1899. She's an outcast, having had a baby (which died) while she was single. One night she saves the life of mysterious Valin Kalami whose boat crashed onto the rocky shore of Lake Superior.It turns out that Kalami is a sorcerer sent from the kingdom of Isavalta to find Bridget — who doesn't realize that she has a tie to this parallel world and some powers of her own. With not much to keep her on Sand Island, she agrees to return to Isavalta with Kalami. There she finds a world full of political intrigue, treachery, and magic. The state of things isn't exactly how Kalami described it back in Wisconsin, and it's very hard to know who to trust.The Plot: A Sorcerer's Treason winds up slowly until Bridget gets to Isavalta, and then it becomes ... Read More:http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

What do You think about A Sorcerer's Treason (2003)?

I almost reevaluated my one star rating planned for this book after seeing the most recent reviews giving it 4 or 5. Im aware that there's a chance I have just read SO much fantasy and have such firm favourites that I'm likely to be overly critical.. But then I didn't feel that way when I gave Percheron 5 stars last month.So one star it is.I think the books introduction is too long, too much time is spent getting Bridget to the place where he story will begin. Not only that but the intro is where you should begin to fall in love with the lead character(s) and that just never happened.I didn't appreciate the various settings either.. Shoreside Wisconsin esque countryside to a land feeling almost gothic and a little Persian. Very confusing. What I did like, no, love, was the authors creativity in how magic is weaved (literally) in to the plot. This felt original and gave the book a uniqueness that almost warrants a second star. It's so easy to go for wand waving, or 'the gift' or something recycled when conveying magical ability, but this originality was appreciated.Too much going on.. Animal spirits, character history, character future, demons and bad blood.I won't be reading book two.
—Mary Baldwin

This book slots neatly into the category of "too good to be true fantasy", where the main character is led to another world where she is not only incredibly magically powerful, but is also the child of a legendary sorcerer, and a legend in her own right. People gape at her in the streets and kiss her feet, that sort of thing. Amazingly, back in her home world (ie our world) she is shunned because she had an illegitimate child. She's a bit too good to be true, our Bridget (who is a lighthouse keeper in our world and describes herself as "tending the light". And she has red hair. Oh lord, could we make our inspiration for character names a bit more obvious?). Nevertheless, despite this it's a semi-decent fantasy, has a bit of atmosphere and some interesting elements, and yeah, I'll be reading the next one despite our insipid heroine. Although I just read on Amazon it's a prequel - *snore*
—Celia Powell

This was a re-read because my husband got me the prequel to this for Christmas. I thought it was better on my second reading, probably because Usurper's Crown (the pre-quel) provided a good amount of backstory which I wondered about on my first read. I love the combination of Chinese and Russian folklore along with a new fantasy world present in the book and its companions. It's not a combination that I've read before. The Empress Medeoan is a tragic figure who is easy to both feel sorry for and dislike. This book is definitely worth a read if you like fantasy novels.
—Heather

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