An Errand for the Goddess

Robinson puts an intriguing twist on a low-tech fantasy world, presenting five types of magic that are in some ways indistinguishable from science. Draedreia Ashes is a rare and powerful fire sorceress who has been summoned to carry out an errand for the goddess Brigid and then die ceremoniously to serve her in the afterlife. Drae puts off the errand until her family and friends ostracize her and the struggle against the goddess's wishes makes her acutely ill. When she is accidentally cured, Drae must face her feelings for her family and her faith, which she never quite manages to do convincingly. Robinson's use of modern English alongside flowery fantasy prose is often jarring, and a cliffhanger ending provides an intriguing twist and plenty of suspense but little closure. (Feb.)