Kar Kalim (Paperback)

by Deborah Christian (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Sorceress Inya, Lady of Moontooth and guardian of portals to other worlds, reluctantly accepts Murl Amrey as her student of magic. A disturbed young man, Amrey seemingly disappears on one of the worlds Inya has sent him to in order to retrieve a wizard stone. He returns years later as Kar Kalim, conqueror of the world, and takes Inya prisoner. In Amrey's lust for power, Inya realizes she is his mirror image and the only one who can stop him. Christian's insights into abuse of power make her second fantasy thriller (following Mainline, LJ 5/15/96) a rousing good morality tale. Recommended for fantasy collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
Fantasy venture from the author of Mainline (1996). The mage Inya is Guardian of Moontooth Tower, a magical focus where doors to other realities may be opened. On a more mundane level, Inya must manipulate the members of the Autarchs' Council to preserve the balance of power along the Salt Coast. Then the young and arrogant Murl Amrey arrives, demanding an apprenticeship. Reluctantly, for Murl is powerful but temperamental, Inya agrees, and soon he shares her bed as well as her magic. To curb Murl's impatience, Inya dispatches him to Styrcia to collect a magic crystal. He returns with a flawed specimen; the pair argue, Murl goes back to Styrcia, and Inya slams the portal shut behind him. Later--months for Inya, many years for Murl--now calling himself Kar Kalim, Murl bursts the sealed portal asunder and invades the Salt Coast with armies of beastlike karzdagi and hordes of Mongol-like Breo'la cavalry. With his new, perfect Styrcian crystal, he captures Inya and forces her to do his bidding. Helpless, appalled by Murl's brutality and ruthlessness, Inya must bide her time and await an opportunity to defeat him. Set forth with precision and clarity, and pleasingly detailed, but predictable and one-dimensional: worth a try for fans of Christian's fine debut. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Tom Doherty Assoc Llc; Reprint edition (August 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812571908
• ISBN-13: 978-0812571905
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,598,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A quick, enjoyable read, August 12, 2003

By	Thomas Bates (Jacksonville, AL United States) - See all my reviews

A first-person narrative from a selfish, dimension-hopping sorceress named Inya is turned on its head by the return of her former pupil and lover, Murl Amrey, now all-powerful and at the head of an army from another world. Bearing the title Kar Kalim, he seeks to conquer her world next. Inya, powerless against him, assists him, hoping to temper his new-found bloodlust with her counsel, and uncovers an ugly truth about herself in the process.
This book should interest those who enjoy descriptions of how magic works. It also provides insight into romantic and power relationships between men and women.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical morality tale, August 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Kar Kalim (Hardcover)

Excellent book. Shows what happens in a world where magic is a source of power and power can be used unwisely, even brutally. Complicated by the heroine's ethical quandaries, "sleeping with the enemy" as it were, in order to deal with the monster she has helped create. I found it very thought provoking. One of the blurbs from Library Journal called it a "rousing good morality tale" and I would agree with this. It is a very unusual take on power and its (ab)use in a fantasy world.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kar Kalim has stuck with me more than Mainline, December 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Kar Kalim (Hardcover)

While Mainline's subject is more unique, Kar Kalim's story and imagery have stuck with me longer and more powerfully. Plus, every time I hear "Wrapped Around Your Finger" by the Police, I think of Murl Amrey. I eagerly await Ms. Christian's next book.