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Wild Sorceress is not a traditional romance novel. It is the story of Aetria, a Sorceress of the Order of Inhestia. Aetria has a history of Power grid burnout, resulting in "wild" magic use. She has abilities that she hides from her Mentor because she fears being banned from all Power use. After four years of rehabilitation at Inhestia, she is judged ready to return to the Army as a Sorceress. She is named Sub-Commander of a group of Novice Sorcerers and Sorceresses. Her commanding officer, Adept Pleates, witnessed her burnout and makes no secret of his contempt for her. He gives orders that Aetria fears will cause burnout in the Novices under her command. Pleates is an Aggressor - one who fights using fireballs, lighting bolts and other harmful spells. Aetria is an Illusionist - one who is able to make things appear other than they truly are. The other groups are Healers and Provisioners - they are in support roles for the army. When Aetria points out the dangers, Pleates dismisses them and tells her to leave it to him.
Aetria has many fears due to her previous Power grid burnout. She is worried that in the heat of battle, she will not be able to control the Power. She knows Pleates despises her and this adds to her unease. She wants to redeem herself in the eyes of the other Sorcerers and Sorceresses. As the group travels to meet the main army of the king, Pleates gives orders that confuse Aetria. Because she can sense power sources, she is able to locate a group of enemies camped a long distance away. Pleates has developed a secret weapon, and takes the opportunity to test it on the unsuspecting enemies.
Finally, Pleates sends Aetria to guard a general on the way to the King with one other non-sorceress. She questions him, but follows his orders. He also sends his personal Power source with her. Aetria develops a friendship with Sonja, the other guard. This assignment as well as the friendship changes the direction of her life.
This novel is very well written, it has twists and turns that are unexpected and intriguing. This reader found herself surprised several times, and reading faster to find out what was going to happen next. The secondary characters seem real, and add to the story. The authors also use the technique of lessons to the Novices to give the reader background information about their world. This is handled deftly, resulting in material that could have been dry being quite interesting. There is no primary love story involved; yet watching Aetria grow and learn as she progresses is emotionally satisfying to this reader.
In summary, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels. It has no overt sexual interaction, though it is alluded to at times. The message of good versus evil is handled without becoming moralistic, and the solution to Aetria's wild Power use is satisfying. Margaret & Leslie Roy are to be commended. In addition, as a reader, I hope they will write additional novels based in Dalmathia and Herminia.
Reviewed by Nancy Riggins-Hume
for The Road to Romance
February 25, 2004
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