Book description
An island nation has vanished. Men of honor and magic have died
unnatural deaths. Slaves flee in terror. . . . Are the silent gods
beginning to speak? Or is another force at work in the Lands Vin?
Laura Anne Gilman's critically acclaimed, Nebula Award-nominated
Flesh and Fire
introduced a brilliantly imagined world where the grapevine-cultivated
by the Vinearts who know the secrets of wine magic-holds together
disparate lands. Now, confusion, violence, and terror are sweeping over
the Lands Vin. And four people are at the center of a storm.
Jerzy,
Vineart apprentice and former slave, was sent by his master to
investigate strange happenings-and found himself the target of
betrayal. Now he must set out on his own journey, to find the source
of the foul taint that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.
By Jerzy's side are Ao, who lives for commerce and the art of the
deal; Mahault, stoic and wise, risking death in flight from her
homeland; and Kaïnam, once Named-Heir of an island principality, whose
father has fallen into a magic-tangled madness that endangers them
all.
These four companions will travel far from the earth and the soul of
the vine, sailing along coastlines aflame with fear, confronting sea
creatures summoned by darkness, and following winds imbued with
malice. Their journey will take them to the very limits of the Sin
Washer's reach . . . and into a battle for the soul of the Lands Vin.
For two millennia the Sin Washer's Commandment has kept these lands in
order: Those of magic shall hold no power over men and those
princes of power shall hold no magic. Now, that law has given
way. And a hidden force seeks the havoc of revenge.
An adventure through an unforgettable realm conjured by breathtaking
imagination, Laura Anne Gilman's saga of the Vineart War is a
"dramatic, authentic, and potent" (Publishers Weekly)
literary delight.
Laura Anne Gilman is the author of the Cosa Nostradamus
books for Luna (the “Retrievers” and “Paranormal Scene Investigations”
series), a YA trilogy for HarperCollins, and numerous works of short
fiction. She also writes paranormal romances for Nocturne as Anna
Leonard, and her e-book novella Dreamcatcher was released in
August 2008. A former executive editor at NAL, Laura Anne is an
amateur chef, oenophile, and cat-servant. She lives in New York City,
where she also runs d. y.m. k. productions.
