Legend says that in the days when gods walked the earth, the god called the Trickster Man stole a Stone of Power. To cover his crime, the god ground up the stone, put it into some flour, and baked it into bread for First Ancestor to eat. But in his haste, Trickster Man did not grind the stone pieces fine enough. There were still pieces big as a piece of sand. Some were still the size of pebbles. When the time came for the first people to be made, they were created using pieces of the First Ancestor. Therefore, each person has at least a tiny speck of the Stone. Those who carry one of the bigger grains can do minor magic. Those who carry a pebble sized piece became powerful shamans. Of course, the people who could not summon power grew to fear the rare people who could. Thus, the people with magic are hunted down as witches and burned.
The story opens with the main character, Esmeree, being around the age of six. She is a street urchin, trying only to survive among the magic-fearing people of the Seven Kingdoms. Esmeree carries a big stone (a.k.a. witch ember) within her and tries to keep anyone from finding out about it. However, Esmeree must learn to use and control the ember's sorcery before she is declared a witch. Should that happen, Esmeree would be turned over to the Inquisition, tortured until she confessed, and then publically burned.
Lady Andelliza learns of Esmeree's ember and begins to tutor the child in magic. Old Myrdd, one of Esmeree's few friends, mentors her in ways that may one day help the child marry well above her station.
By the time Esmeree hits puberty, knowledge of her ember has leaked. She is continuously on the run, simply trying to survive one more day. Esmeree must master her ember before she is captured by the Inquisition, the Superbus Tyrannus Valven, Primate Klemm and his army, or even the notorious Fée.
**** This is a thick novel. Consider yourself warned. Having said that, let me add that once I got into the story, I could not put it down! In a few sections of the novel, as Esmeree's story unfolds, you meet Sir Guiromélans. He is a Raven of the Seven Kingdoms, one of the elite. (Think of him as a paladin of God.) I do not believe I give anything away by mentioning him since the second novel, "Raven", has already been released. By including the Raven within Esmeree's tale, I feel as though I already know him. Watching Sir Guiromélans, a paladin, struggling to deal with his honor and beliefs in order to decide whether Esmeree, a witch, is evil or not was very intriguing. Of course, to the church it does not matter whether the girl seems evil or not. (Have stone, will burn.) No, there is no real reason for me to even mention this paladin to you at all. But I cannot help myself. The author does such a masterful job, in the sections Sir Guiromélans is mentioned, that I came to know him as well as I do Esmeree.
As for Esmeree, author John Lawson may start this girl out at a very young age, but by doing so he makes sure that the character keeps her wits sharp and learns quickly. Toward the end of the novel it dawned on me that several of the small tales told to Esmeree, as well as some words of wisdom handed down to her early on, make more sense than I ever could have imagined. All-in-all, this is a well developed story that fans of fantasy will highly enjoy. I heartily recommend it! ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews
© All Materials Copyright John Lawson 2006