FIRE ANGELS

Sequel to the mass market Mage Heart, continuing the adventures of narrator and mage Dion. As part of the power struggle tearing Moria asunder, the Church of the Burning Light, led by the priest Darmen Stalker, has taken up necromancy (that is, they summon demons). By his control over these demons, Stalker intends to make himself ruler of Moria. Now when young, Dion was taken away from her innkeeper family to be trained as a mage. Suddenly two of her brothers show up (she hasn’t seen them for years) with the news that their sister Tasha, beguiled by Stalker, has vanished. Dion can—t locate her by magical means, so they must go in search. Stalker, they discover, uses his magic to influence people directly; much worse, he’s been feeding on Tasha in order to gain enough power to control his demons. He also wants Dion for his queen. Indeed, Dion finds him attractive (she had previously been drawn to Andre/Bedazzer, another demon in human form). Predictably, Stalker grabs Dion, intending to steal her soul; Dion will need high-powered magical assistance from the Wanderers, or Klementari, a wizardly people determined to reclaim their ancient homeland in Moria. Competently set forth but pedestrian and hackneyed, with some annoyingly obvious borrowings from Tolkien (Moria, Istari, etc.) and a heroine who screams far too much.