Bloodring (Rogue Mage Series #1) by Faith Hunter

From the Publisher

In a near-future world, seraphs and demons fight a never-ending battle. But a new species of mage has arisen. Thorn St. Croix is no ordinary "neomage." Nearly driven insane by her powers, she has escaped the confines of the Enclaves and now lives among humans. When her ex-husband is kidnapped, Thorn must risk revealing her true identity to save him.

Publishers Weekly

Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage, lives secretly among humans in this entertaining if flawed postapocalyptic fantasy, the first in a new series from the pseudonymous Hunter.... Even Thorn's friends, with whom she crafts jewelry, don't know she's a member of the new race that emerged in the catastrophe brought by winged "seraphs" a century earlier. When her ex-husband disappears, Thorn must use her only partially trained mage powers against the forces of Darkness. Outstanding supporting characters help compensate for a milieu with jarring inconsistencies (sugar is rare, but coffee and aspirin are common; no new computers have been built since most of humanity was wiped out, but the Internet is still an active source of commerce). The author's efforts to sex up the action with the concept of "mage-heat" mages are uncontrollably lusty around seraphs become tiresome, but the strong, cliffhanger of an ending bodes well for future adventures. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT

It has been ten years since the first plague of the Apocalypse descended upon Paris, but the battle between the seraphim and the hell spawn continues. The main casualties of this war are the humans, who are caught between righteous wrath and hungry demons, but the Apocalypse also has brought about the creation of other new breeds, such as the soulless neomages and the half-human, half-seraph beings known as kylen. Bloodring tells the story of Thorn St. Croix, a rogue neomage who escaped from her mandated Enclave, or mage haven, to save her sanity, but who now faces a death sentence for living as an unlicensed mage. The safe, predictable rhythm into which Thorn's life fell since she moved to an isolated frontier town is soon ripped asunder by a kylen cop who shows up on her doorstep and demands to know why demon spawn have kidnapped her ex-husband, Lucas, and how she's involved. Thorn struggles to keep her identity secret and to find her ex-husband, even as the situation becomes complicated by her unwilling, magical attraction to the kylen and by the arrival of an enchanted amethyst, shipped to her by Lucas days before his disappearance. This utterly fabulous read is impossible to put down. Although the astute reader will notice that some questions go unanswered and some plot lines are dropped, Hunter's fresh and inventive world makes the ride more than worthwhile. In terms of tone, one would be hard pressed to find a sultrier, sexier book, making it inappropriate for an immature audience but unreservedly seductive to an older readership. Bloodring departs from the usual fantasy realm, but Hunter's enchanting narration makes the reader hope she will return to this apocalypticworld again—and soon!

Library Journal

The apocalypse has come and gone, and now seraphs and demons rule the world, waging war on an Earth plunged into an ice age. Only a few gifted humans, such as Thorn St. Croix, live as fugitives among normal humans. When Thorn's ex-husband is kidnapped, Thorn is accused of the crime, and she is forced to use her magic to find him at the risk of her own life and freedom. Hunter's distinctive future vision offers a fresh though dark glimpse into a newly made postapocalyptic world. Bold and imaginative in approach, with appealing characters and a suspense-filled story, this belongs in most fantasy collections. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A hundred years after near-biblical plagues wiped out most densely populated areas, angel-like seraphs are at odds with the Dark Powers that live deep underground in a world covered with ice. Thorn St. Croix is a neomage, able to channel energy into spells. She makes a living polishing and carving trinkets that she infuses with harmless bits of positive magic, living in fear of being discovered and put to death by those who don't take kindly to her talents and background. But the town where she lives has some sinister secrets. Thorn's ex-husband, Lucas Stanhope, is kidnapped by the Dark Powers residing nearby. The blood of his grandfather was used to defeat them in their last battle against the seraphs, and by kidnapping Lucas they hope to acquire the power to start taking over the town. In order to save everyone, Thorn has to risk revealing her true self to her friends, as well as to the very alluring Thaddeus Bartholomew, who has shown up to investigate the kidnapping. The conclusion hints that Thorn is tied into the ongoing seraph/Dark Power conflict, but can't remember why, leaving the option of more books on the table. With so many fantasies featuring heroes who spring from nowhere and are either virtually or literally orphans, it's a pleasure to read this engaging tale about characters connected by strong bonds of friendship and family. Mixes romance, high fantasy, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic adventure to good effect. Agent: Lucienne Diver/Spectrum Literary Agency

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