Wizards and Warriors, Part II

In my review of The Warrior Heir, I said that a sequel was due out soon and that I was looking forward to reading it. Well, the sequel is out now, and it's just as good a read as the first.

Very briefly:

Seph knows he's a wizard, but he doesn't know much else. He knows the story he's been told about his parents is false, but he doesn't know why he's been fed a pack of lies or what, if anything, is the truth about them. More important for the story, however, is that he knows that he has power, but he doesn't know how to control it. He's been kicked out of multiple schools because his uncontrollable bursts of power have created some very uncomfortable and unfortunate situations. But the worst situation of all is what happens one night when he goes to a nightclub to party with some friends and meets Alicia (who we met in the first book). When she spikes his drink, Seph loses any semblance of control. Several people die as a result, and Seph's guardians (a law firm) have to get him out of town fast. He is sent to the Havens, a small school in a remote part of Maine. Unknown to him (but is it unknown to the people who sent him there?), the school is run by a wizard who has set the school up specifically to collect as many wizard around him as possible. His goal isn't to train them, it's to link to and control them. When Seph resists, he is mentally and physically tortured. After months of this, he is finally able to get a call for help out. A significant character from the The Warrior Heir arrives to rescue him, but he's merely jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Many wizards are angry about the changes made at Raven's Ghyll, and they aren't going to accept them without a fight. Little does Seph know how central a role he's playing in that fight.

Jack, Ellen, Linda, Hastings, Niko, and several others from the first book appear in this one as well (though it takes a while). But we also meet several other new characters, notably Seph, Maddie (who has a fascinating power we haven't seen before), Jason, and Gregory Leicester (Jessamine Longbranch and Geoffrey Wylie don't hold a candle to this guy).

Cinda Chima's web site has a bio, a list of books she's read over the past few years (fun to browse), and pages on the two books in this series that include lists of characters, information about places in the books, and a FAQ. Dragon's Heir, the third book in the series, is scheduled to be published in the spring of 2008.

Wizards and Warriors

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
4Q 4P M/J/S

(Why is there a shortcut/toolbar icon for bolding and italics, but not underlining? I can make it do an underline for the title, but only if I code it myself. Is underlining a thing of the past or something? How annoying!)

What if you found out at the age of sixteen that you weren't who you always thought you were? What if you found out that the medication you've been taking every day all your life isn't really to keep your heart healthy, but is actually a magic potion that keeps you hidden from people who want to kill you or kidnap you? What if you forgot to take that medicine one morning, and accidentally released a burst of power as a result? What if you found out that that one little mistake put you right in the middle of a deadly game of Wizards and Warriors?

That's exactly what happens to Jack when he forgets to take the medicine he's taken ever since he was a baby. It's weird, really. As far as he can tell, there's absolutely nothing wrong with his heart and never has been. But he's been told that he had an operation on his heart as a baby, and sure enough, there really is a scar on his chest. But there's never been a problem. He's even made the varsity soccer squad. So he doesn't worry much the day he forgets to take the medicine, except for dreading what his mother will say. In fact, he actually feels better, a little...stronger? A little more...aware? Something, anyhow. He goes to soccer practice feeling pretty good, until Garrett Lobeck starts giving him grief. But what happens to Garrett isn't something Jack tries to do. It just...happens. Jack sticks his arms out to fend off Garrett, a burst of power leaps from his fingers, and Garrett goes flying into the goal. Jack didn't even touch him!

Now the secret is out. Jack's no ordinary boy. He is, in fact, a warrior. In the next few weeks, Jack tracks down the magical sword destined for him, is nearly killed several times, begins his warrior training, and maybe, just maybe, falls a little bit in love. He discovers he has many loyal friends and protectors. And he also discovers that there's even more to learn about his birth and his birthright. He'd better learn it all fast, because wizards from all over the world felt his blast of power, and now they know where to look for the boy who is possibly the very last undiscovered warrior left. The wizards long ago divided into two camps, and both camps are desperate to get their hands on him. Jack is a pawn in a very deadly game, because he holds the key to their power. He is to be the warrior champion of whichever house gets to him first. Think gladiators and the Coliseum. Think savage medieval jousts. Think mortal combat, fighting to the death for a cause that is not your own.

This book is a fast-paced adventure, with sword fights, martial arts, battles to the death, narrow escapes, unexpected twists, and an ending that hints at more to come.