The Singers of Nevya

Though this omnibus volume of opera singer Marley's 1990s science fantasy trilogy gets off to a rocky start, overloading the reader with fabricated words and poorly elucidating its system of psionics, it soon settles into a rich story of cultural revolution. The singers of the ice planet Nevya use their musical psi-powers to hold back the deadly cold. In Sing the Light , young singer Sira loses faith in doctrine after a violent encounter with power-hungry politicians. She sets out on her own in Sing the Warmth , spending years gathering and training like-minded individuals. Her attempt at peaceful cultural change is nearly ended when the mad carver Cho attempts to take over Nevya in Receive the Gift . This tale of duty, loss, self-sacrifice and standing up for one's beliefs is occasionally gritty, often suspenseful and always emotionally gripping. (Nov.)