Review of THE DESTROYER GODDESS by Laura Resnick (see her website)

PART TWO OF IN FIRE FORGED

TOR, December 2003

The Valdani have finally left Sileria after hundreds of years of occupation but now the water lords, led by their powerful chief Kiloran, intend to take over. Their rule, should they be successful, will be far harsher and far more complete than anything the Valdani dreamed of. And all that stands in their way are a handful of guardians (fire mages) and Tansen--a great warrior to be sure, but hardly a cult leader like his brother, now killed by Kiloran. Things only get worse for Tansen when the great fire-mage and prophet, Mirabar--the woman he loves despite her cruelty to him--decides to marry a crazy waterlord. They need dissension among the waterlords, but Tansen hates the idea that any man but he will touch Mirabar.

Tansen, along with his adopted son, do their best to stir up troubles among the waterlords, playing them off against each other. But the prophecies require children to be born for real freedom--and Kiloran's assassins are doing their best to kill any of the likely candidates.

Author Laura Resnick (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Resnick) has created a fascinating magical world. Tansen and the half-Valdani lord Ronall, in particular, come to life as flawed but fascinating characters. The magic system with its battles between water and fire magic is fully developed and very nice. Resnick's word pictures of the water magic are especially powerful.

THE DESTROYER GODDESS is the strongest of the three novels in this series. The plot is more tightly integrated as the characters come together for the resolution of the centuries-old struggle between fire and water, between the Society and the Guardians, and between the peasants and the sea. Even the gods come ito play in this one.

The novel could be read as a stand-alone but readers will find it more interesting if they read the three novels in the order they were written.

Four Stars

Reviewed 3/04/04

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