In Australian author Douglass's solid fourth installment in her Wayfarer Redemption series (after 2002's Starman
), control of the land of Tencendor has passed from Axis SunStar to his son, StarSon Caelum SunSoar. A benevolent ruler, Caelum faces his first great challenge when Zared, Prince of the North, plots treason against him. Surprised by Zared's betrayal, Caelum doesn't take the threat seriously until disaster strikes. Meanwhile, Caelum's unpopular brother, Drago, who has already tried to kill Caelum, stands accused of murdering his twin sister, RiverStar. Drago flees for his life, taking with him the Rainbow Scepter with which Axis destroyed the monster Gorgrael in Starman
. Caelum must save Tencendor from a multitude of dangers, any one of which is likely to tear the country to pieces. While Douglass smoothly fills in some backstory about the SunSoar dynasty, even those who've read the three earlier volumes will welcome the extensive glossary. The bouts of narcissism that some characters suffer tend to slow the plot, but fans of this ambitious epic fantasy should be eager to find out what happens in book five after the muted cliffhanger of an ending. Agent, James Frenkel. (Sept. 14)
