A Sorcerer's Treason by Sarah Zettel (Fiction, Fantasy, 8/10E)

Paperback, Voyager, Harper Collins Publisher, 2002, 595 pages

Content: Lots of tension, some blushables, tissues needed

Sorcerers and Sorceresses. Witches and animal spirits. The world of the dead, the world of the living. Zombie like creatures. All are in this well-written, first volume of the Isavalla trilogy.

Nothing in this book is at it seems. A lighthouse keeper as a heroine is an unusual choice, but it provides a platform for Bridget to meet the Sorcerer Kalami. Unlike the other sailors she rescues, Kalami presents a dilemma for Bridget. No matter what she does, he's stays by her side until she agrees to go back to his world with him. A world seeped in lies, deceptions, and disguises, which has everyone – the dowager Empress, the Empress, the Emperor, the guards, the handmaidens/servants – wrapped up so tightly that it takes Bridget's appearance to disrupt life.

There is little more I can say on the story without giving any of this well constructed novel. Initially I was rather confused about all the alliances and plots. It seemed every time I turned the page another layer threw itself on the already quite high mountain of mystery. And yet, by the end I understood it all very well.

The characters certainly aren't 2D. It took a while until I really connected with Bridget, I preferred the Empress Ananda. What Ananda goes through tweaked my emotions, something that didn't happen for Bridget until at least halfway through. I did get there eventually; it felt like her character suddenly blossomed out and became the type of protagonist I adore reading about; quick thinking and strong willed. There isn't a character I didn't care for; the secondary characters are fleshed out and either had me cheering them on or praying they met disasters.

There were moments when I nearly put the book down: certain things were very easy for Bridget to do, there wasn't always a challenge for her. I'm glad I stuck it out and kept going for the action picks up just as her character matures. I enjoyed the use of magic here, how it's twisted for evil purposes as well as good.

Blushables – yes. I would have liked to say 1 paperclip, since initially there was just 1 page, but near there end there are a few more pages with more detail so I raise the paperclip rating to 2. If what happened at the end had occurred earlier on in the novel, I would have put it down for fear the novel carried on in the same style. It was so near the end that I hastily skim read it, with blushes, until I reached safer ground. I wouldn't want this to put people off, so again if you want to know which pages to miss, let me know.

Sarah Zettel can be found here. There are several more series besides the Isavalta trilogy. Go check them out.