The Price of Blood and Honor

Willey's latest completes the fantasy series that began with The Well-Favored Man (which earned her a John W. Campbell nomination as Best New Writer) and continued in A Sorcerer and a Gentleman (1994). Defeated by his brother Avril in the War for control of the Throne, the sorcerer Prospero must--like his Shakespearean namesake--renounce his powers and turn his lands over to the new emperor. Prospero's children are also left vulnerable by the defeat. Although his self-assured son, Dewar, no mean student of sorcery himself, is more than comfortable in Avril's Court, Prospero's half-wild daughter, Freia, feels alienated by the petty plots and intrigues of the aristocracy. Behind the tangled schemings of the Court, however, are serious maneuverings for control of the Empire. Willey presents her story with the low-key wit and style her readers have come to expect. Her prose is smooth, at times sparkling, with more than a few forays into Shakespeare and Jane Austen for droll effect. Admirers of skillful writing and lively characters will enjoy this elegant high fantasy. (Sept.)