Prince of Time

An energetically paced and entertaining hybrid of SF, fantasy and romance in the tradition of Anne McCaffrey, McReynolds's tale of a medieval Welshman stranded far in the future who must help a desert princess-priestess return to his time to banish a black hole wields dramatic power. Morgan, an accidental time-rider who learned to survive in the tech-heavy future as a quick-witted thief, brings himself to the attention of the wrong people when he steals a golden dragon statue. On his trail are both the fearsome Warmonger and the White Ladies of Death, the latter because Morgan is their Prince of Time, a prophesied warrior for whom they've waited 10,000 years. Luckily, White Lady Avallyn finds him first, but the explosion of attraction between Morgan and Avallyn catches both off balance. Their soul-deep connection becomes the only thing they can count on as the Warmonger chases them across the desert and into the worm hole that takes them to long-ago Wales and the seemingly unwinnable fight against the black hole. As she spins her rich story, McReynolds finely transforms Morgan from a Han Solo sketch to a man who's never fully recovered from being torn from his home, adding generous dollops of wry humor and sizzling action to keep the entertainment level high. The return to Wales two-thirds of the way through the action tosses in a dozen new characters that followers of her previous books (Dream Stone; The Chalice and the Blade) will be happy to see but newcomers will find bewildering, and Avallyn is gradually left with not a lot to do. Still, this is a vivid and enjoyable tale for readers who seek the magic of fantasy, the tech edge of sci-fi and the thrilling jolt of true love. (Dec. 5)