Heir of Autumn

Solid characterization helps redeem Carwyn and Fahnestock's overly long and predictable debut fantasy, which chronicles the growth of young Brophy into his role as the future leader of the House of Autumn, aided by the memorable Scythe, a ubiquitous spy and mysterious loner. When the kingdom of Ohndarien, normally ruled by the Children of the Seasons, falls under the control of Brophy's treacherous foreign-born uncle, Brophy goes into exile. Brophy has an affair with a married queen, who miscarries their child, and later participates in the glamorous but often fatal Nine Squares game. While the book's many deaths are real enough, they don't pack much emotional punch. The serviceable prose falls short of the epic beauty of Tolkien, an obvious source of inspiration. Still, fans of straightforward, by-the-numbers fantasy should look forward to the sequel. (Feb.)