cover image Flight into Darkness: Book Two of the Alchymist's Legacy

Flight into Darkness: Book Two of the Alchymist's Legacy

Sarah Ash, . . Bantam, $24 (464pp) ISBN 978-0-553-80520-8

Singer and spy Celestine de Joyeuse must finally come to terms with her father's legacy in this complex sequel to 2008's Tracing the Shadow . While serving Francia's King Enguerrand, Celestine longs to destroy the Magus Linnaius, whom she believes betrayed her father to the Inquisition. Celestine is aided by Faie, a spirit bound by her father to protect her, but Faie was responsible for keeping the balance between the mortal world and the realm of the dead, and now lost souls haunt the living. The story ties up minor plot threads from Ash's Tears of Atramon trilogy, but its dependence on backstory will challenge new readers, while fans of Tracing the Shadow will wonder why previously major characters have been relegated to token roles. (Feb.)