GIFT OF MAGIC - Lynn Kurland
A Nine Kingdoms Novel
A Perfect 10
Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-24520-0
January 2012
Fantasy Romance

The Nine Kingdoms

Sarah of Doire and Ruithneadh of Ceangail have set out on a dangerous journey. Somehow they must gather all of the spells of Ruith's evil father's book and destroy them. The only way they can do this is because, despite Sarah having no real magic, she can see spells and knows where each of Gair's horrible spells are located. That doesn't mean it's easy, far from it. Every place they go, every corner they turn, danger seems to spring into their path.

For some reason, the runes that Sarah is reading seem to be controlled by someone, leading them to a definite journey's end. But who has worked this out? And why? And why do there seem to be others who are equally interested in Sarah and Ruith's quest?

Ruith is a mage who has spent twenty years avoiding magic. But a knock on his door one day changed all of that, and now he and Sarah are committed to finding and destroying Ruith's father's spells. Sarah, who thinks herself an orphan with no right to love the elvan prince she has asked for help, is possibly more talented than she realizes. Her ability to see spells has drawn the interest of others, unfortunately, and Ruith's magic may be more important than ever now.

Each part of their journey has opened their eyes to the fact that there is someone, or something, sinister at every place they go. And whom can they trust? When it comes right down to it, they know they can trust each other, but will that be enough in the end?

The novels of the Nine Kingdoms are incredibly detailed, amazingly exciting and surprising tales that are all linked to the day that the evil mage Gair killed most of his family, and himself, at the well where his spells were spewed. I highly recommend starting with the first book in the series, STAR OF THE MORNING, but GIFT OF MAGIC can be read alone, it's just that readers will benefit from knowing the entire story. Sarah and Ruith are worthy partners in this latest adventure, and their growing love for each other can't be denied. There are many secondary characters, both good and bad, who are important to the plot. Be prepared for plenty of magic, more than a few surprises, and some great reading.

One thrilling page after another, GIFT OF MAGIC has a page-turning conclusion that makes it impossible to put the book down, making this A Perfect 10 novel!

Jani Brooks