After leaving her prestigious school, a gifted mage must rely on her wits and resourcefulness to protect herself and those close to her.
In the Empire of Dageis, mages don’t usually look like Rosha Tar’elian. Her brown skin and dark hair, inherited from her Gorenten father, set her apart from the light-complected Dageian majority. Though she has a natural-born talent for magic, she struggles to be seen as more than a member of a subjugated group. Thanks to her undeniable skill (and her merchant father’s dubiously gained fortune), Rosha is the first Gorenten to be admitted to Eheldeth, Dageis’ premier school for mages. Unfortunately, the community resents the outsider in their midst, and Rosha’s reputation as a ruthless hothead earns her no favors. Fed up with being undermined, she leaves, making her not only a dropout, but also an outlaw: Every spell she casts is now illegal. She succeeds in disappearing for a time, but when her family is threatened, she realizes that her father’s and her own shady behavior may be catching up to them. Rosha sets off across the empire to investigate, making allies and enemies and uncovering a political conspiracy far beyond what she could have imagined. This series opener sets up more plot threads than it closes; those who enjoy the intricate worldbuilding and thoughtful treatment of class, race, and colonialism will be eager for the next installment.
A sprawling fantasy notable for its complex worldbuilding and exploration of social issues.
(character sketches, map) (Fantasy. 13-adult)