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SPECTYR by Philippa Ballantine

SPECTYR

A Book of the Order

by Philippa Ballantine

Pub Date: June 28th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-441-02051-5
Publisher: Ace/Berkley

The second novel from the Order series picks up smoothly from the first installment (Geist, 2010), continuing the fantasy adventure with a mix of romance and power play by the world's deities.

Deacons Sorcha Faris and her partner Merrick Chambers have emerged from their last adventure only to find themselves in the midst of another when the pair is assigned to escort the Emperor's delegation to Orithal. At the same time, the Emperor’s sister, the Grand Duchess Zofiya, is approached by the goddess Hatipai for her own ends. Faris’ lover, Raed, enters the scene with a price on his head and inhabited by the geistlord Rossin, as he attempts to track down his kidnapped sister. The storylines come together predictably as the entire cast of characters is drawn to Orithal at the same time as a series of brutal murders occur in the city. Complications arise for the Deacons and their order when the taste of power sways parts of their group. An agreeable novel that will appeal to the paranormal romance and steampunk crowds: a book heavy on the fantastic, but one that treads over paths long since forged.