An orphaned boy escapes from the terrible dark cellar where he is apprenticed to grind spellstones, stones which can be shaped to wield great magical power. Escaping this shadowy world is punishable by death, but when captured the boy claims a stay of execution under an old and almost fogotten law. If he can reach the coast and flee the country within eight days, he will be free. But the boy's daring escape has also come to the attention of the most powerful man in the land, the Protector, and he believes there must be far more to the boy than his humble spellgrinding background. The Protector is convinced that the boy possesses some skill in earth magic, the magic which the Protector tried to irradicate and replace with the unnatural and unstable spellstone wizardry of his own. If this boy can wield earth magic, then maybe others can too. The boy must be captured at all costs - the Protector must learn what the boy knows, and whether he is the harbinger of the Protector's downfall. The chase begins. The characters are vivid, the world NM Browne creates - the politics, religion, the landscapes are utterly convincing, and the many layers of sophistication to explore, are tied together brilliantly.
Book Description
An orphaned boy escapes from the terrible dark cellar where he is apprenticed to grind spellstones, stones which can be shaped to wield great magical power. Escaping this shadowy world is punishable by death, but when captured the boy claims a stay of execution under an old and almost fogotten law. If he can reach the coast and flee the country within eight days, he will be free. But the boy's daring escape has also come to the attention of the most powerful man in the land, the Protector, and he believes there must be far more to the boy than his humble spellgrinding background. The Protector is convinced that the boy possesses some skill in earth magic, the magic which the Protector tried to irradicate and replace with the unnatural and unstable spellstone wizardry of his own. If this boy can wield earth magic, then maybe others can too. The boy must be captured at all costs - the Protector must learn what the boy knows, and whether he is the harbinger of the Protector's downfall. The chase begins. The characters are vivid, the world NM Browne creates - the politics, religion, the landscapes are utterly convincing, and the many layers of sophistication to explore, are tied together brilliantly.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
N.M. Browne was born and raised in Lancashire. She went to New College, Oxford, to read Philosophy and Theology and then to King's College, Cambridge ,to train as a teacher. After a brief spell teaching she went back to college and studied for an MBA. She worked for an oil company as a kind of all-purpose executive person, and after leaving, remembered what it was she'd always wanted to do - write. She is now a powerful voice in children's fiction, 'blending history, myth, archaeology and psychology like no writer since Rosemary Sutcliff'. She lives in London with her family.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet.
|
|||
|
Video reviews
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
