The Children of Amarid

Jaryd dreams of water; soon a missing boy is found drowned. Further prophetic dreams follow, and before long Jaryd learns that he is destined to be one of the Children of Amarid, a Hawk-Mage, bound to a fighting hawk and armed with a magical staff. In Coe's first novel, the land of Tobyn-Ser has been at peace for many years, watched over by its benevolent mages. Now, however, mysterious vandals and killers are abroad; dressed like mages, they carry great, evil-looking birds on their shoulders. The people of Tobyn-Ser, who have long considered the Children their protectors, are beginning to reject and fear them. When Jaryd and his uncle, the Owl-Master Baden, arrive at the Gathering of Mages, everything is in an uproar. Has one of the Children gone rogue? Could this evil have been perpetrated by the unruly spirit of a wicked, long-dead mage? It falls to Jaryd, Baden and a small troop of their fellows to travel south to Theron's Grove, where the dangerous spirit of such a mage dwells. There they hope to defeat the danger facing their land, or to die trying. Coe writes well and creates engaging characters, but his plot lacks originality and he shows little flair for depicting the macabre and magical. His spirit mages come across as petulant rather than terrifying, and his magical battles have a comic-book feel to them. (May)