Breath and Bone by Carol Berg

From the Publisher

As the land of Navronne sinks deeper into civil war and perilous winter, everyone wants to get their hands on the rebellious sorcerer Valen-a murderous priestess, a prince who steals dead men's eyes, and even the Danae guardians, whose magic nurtures the earth and whose attention could prove the most costly of all.

Addicted to an enchantment that turns pain into pleasure-and bound by oaths he refuses to abandon-Valen risks body and soul to rescue one child, seek justice for another, and bring the dying land its rightful king. Yet no one is who they seem, and Valen's search for healing grace leads him from Harrower dungeons to alien shores. Only at the heart of the world does he discover the glorious, terrible price of the land's redemption-and his own.

Publishers Weekly

Replete with magic-powered machinations, secret societies and doomsday divinations, the emotionally intense second volume of Berg's intrigue-laden Lighthouse Duet (after 2007's Flesh and Spirit) concludes the story of Valen, a sorcerer who finds himself at the center of a looming conflict that could cast the realms of both humankind and the feylike Danae into a nightmarish dark age. Caught between the maneuverings of the enigmatic Osriel, bastard prince of Evanore, and apocalypse priestess Sila Diaglou, Valen must determine which perceived villain is less evil. Although billed as an epic fantasy, this duology is more accurately an intimate, character-driven journey of redemption and self-discovery. Valen's heroic quest to unlock the secrets of his heritage and save a world from destruction suffers from languorous pacing throughout and may discourage readers who like their fantasy fast and furious, but fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon sequence and Sharon Shinn will be rewarded. (Jan.)

Jackie Cassada - Library Journal

As rival princes grow closer to open war over the succession to an empty throne, a rogue sorcerer's powers may hold the key to saving a dying land. Wanted by almost every figure of power, from an ambitious priestess to a bastard prince, Valen tries to fight an addiction to an enchantment that transforms pain and pleasure in order to save his world and redeem his shattered soul. The sequel to Flesh and Spiritbuilds upon the first book's events and illuminates the complex intrigues that mark the land of Navronne. Berg's lush, evocative storytelling and fully developed characters add up to a first-rate purchase for most fantasy collections.

Kirkus Reviews

Second part of a fantasy duology, following Flesh and Spirit (2007, etc.). Young Valen, a novice monk with magical skills of finding and unlocking, also has a personal problem. Owing to his ghastly upbringing, he's addicted to doulon, a pernicious drug that requires pain for release. His protege, the youthful scholar Jullian, whom Valen has sworn to protect, has been kidnapped by the evil renegade monk, Gildas. The latter's in league with the fanatic Sila Diaglou, who has lethal theories of destruction-as-salvation, and whose armies of Harrowers are running riot. Worse, Valen's liege lord, the sorcerer Prince Osriel-his secret identity is Gram, secretary to Thane Stearc-collects the eyes and souls of dead warriors. Sila Diaglou also threatens the elflike Danae; she poisons their secret places and imperils their homeland, a magical realm adjacent to human lands. Osriel agrees to help Valen pursue Gildas, but then gives him over to the Danae to be broken, whence Valen, not altogether surprisingly, discovers he's actually a half-breed, anathema to the Danae. But then, when he reveals abilities the Danae themselves can't match, Valen's Danae uncle Kol agrees to teach him the skills of the Danae. But while Kol teaches Valen, Sila Diaglou grabs Osriel (in his Gram persona) along with Stearc and Jullian. With his new magic, Valen conceives a plan to rescue the three. But can Valen really trust Osriel, whom he suspects of building an army of enslaved undead?Though the plot twists are sometimes obvious, the narrative crackles with intensity against a vivid backdrop of real depth and conviction, with characters to match. Altogether superior.

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