Firesky

De Jager returns to the world of his Chronicles of Stratus series with this satisfying but bloated sequel to Infernal. Amnesiac Stratus Firesky finally discovers his true identity, and as his memories slowly return, he plans revenge against his former captor, Navar Louw. As the Penullin army wreaks havoc on Krandin, Stratus leaves for Aknak, where Navar plans to perform a ritual that would corrupt the Songlines, the source of all magic. Together with his friend Tatyana Henkman, Stratus must stop Navar from polluting the magic and rescue Prince Lucien of Krandin. But he arrives unprepared and realizes too late that he doesn’t stand a chance against his foe. De Jager packs in a lot here, chronicling both Stratus’s search for his identity and the war between two kingdoms on the way to the fight with Navar and a last-minute confrontation with another wizard. The result is unevenly paced, and the story occasionally meanders in between high-octane fight scenes. Still, De Jager neatly ties up loose ends, and series fans willing to overlook the flaws will enjoy this adventure. Agent: Harry Illingworth, DHH Agency (U.K.). (Dec.)