The Poet King

Myer concludes the Harp and Ring Sequence (after Fire Dance) with this opulent, ambitious fantasy. Political upheaval in Kahishi leads to Elissan Diar declaring himself the land’s first Poet King, capable of weaving magic into his odes. Embittered Lady Rianna Gelvan plots to kill Elissan before he takes the throne. Lin Amaristoth, who was Rianna’s mentor before becoming the former King’s Court Poet and whisking Rianna’s husband into a political whirlwind that ended with his disappearance and presumed treason, also works toward Elissan’s downfall, believing that no king should be able to wield the magic power of poetry. Myer’s intricately braided plot strands culminate in a clash of supernatural Otherworld powers. Those new to the series will have no trouble connecting with the well-drawn protagonists but may struggle to untangle the history of this rich universe which draws from a welter of world mythologies. Still, readers will be blown away by the lush, lyrical prose and epic scale of this novel. (Mar.)