Softcover Titan Books, October 2013. Fifth in the Collegium Chronicles.
A Valdemar novel and good as always. With the one proviso that you really need to read this series from book one to know what’s going on, and that applies to this book more then even the previous ones in the series. Mags has managed to escape from kidnappers who claim that he is related to them and as Mags is an orphan he couldn’t be sure if that information was valid or not but in this book it becomes clear that it was. It’s just that Mags is sure he doesn’t want to be related to his kidnappers and is worried that someone might feel he could be disloyal to Valdemar. Instead the Collegium decides to accelerate his training by sending Mags and his friends out into the field for a year of on-the-spot training and while this is underway more kidnappers appear with a repeat in mind. How Mags, Bear, Amily, and Lena cope, Mags growing relationship with Amily, and the resoution of the long-time trouble between the young folks mentors, Herald Jackyr and Bard Lita makes an entertaining read, with an ending that makes it clear there will be at least one other in this series. I look forward to it. I have always preferred the author’s Valdemar series to anything else she has done, and was delighted when this new series began. Recommended as a series.