Fire Angels

by Jane Routley

Overview

Book 2 of the Dion Chronicles

Reunited with the family she left behind as a child, Dion finds her cherished homeland of Moria overrun by marauding Witch Hunters and dreaded
Fire Angels. She soon realizes that she must use her awesome powers to help save her land and its people from the crushing grip of the Great
Destroyer. Finding herself thrust into a morass of court intrigue, political conspiracy, and furious passion, Dion is forced to confront the deadly,
seductive world of demons. Ultimately it is her strength of will, and the pure heart and bravery of the man she loves which will serve as her only weapons against the arch necromancer who would make her his queen.

Winner of the Aurealis Award 1998

"An accomplished fantasy of maturity and depth . . . While many genre fantasies simply add magic to political intrigue, Routley's are noteworthy for the natural and inevitable intertwining of the two. Well-drawn backgrounds and characters add to the appeal, as Routley produces another fantasy that can be read for more than myth or pyrotechnics, accelerating her rise as one of the genre's bright new stars."
-Publishers Weekly

"The story grabs the reader and makes Fire Angels such a pleasure. Strange creatures and stranger characters. Mystical locales. Enviable abilities.
Compelling situations. It never occurs to doubt the possibility of the tale,
only to hurry to learn the fate of the people and places between the covers."
-Lisa DuMond, SF Site

"Compelling . . . evocative . . . intriguing."
-the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781921857669
Publisher:	Ticonderoga Publications
Publication date:	09/30/2012
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.03(d)

Editorial Reviews

An accomplished fantasy of maturity and depth, Routley's second novel (after Mage Heart) continues the story of Dion Holyhands, raised by a stern foster-father to develop her outstanding magical powers. Here, Dion is reintroduced to the extended family she had lost and continues her coming-of-age, including renewed battle against her lover and foe, the demon Bedazzer. Dion is a strong character, introspective but often misled by self-doubt and guilt. Aided by the gypsylike Wanderers, she finds that her magic has destined her for a central role in the government of her homeland, Moria. While many genre fantasies simply add magic to political intrigue, Routley's are noteworthy for the natural and inevitable intertwining of the two. Here, for instance, different countries prohibit and allow different magics, thereby controlling their citizens. Well-drawn backgrounds and characters add to the appeal, as Routley produces another fantasy that can be read for more than myth or pyrotechnics, accelerating her rise as one of the genre's bright new stars. (June)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

As the Duke of Gallia's armies stand ready to liberate the neighboring land of Moria from the theocratic tyranny of the Church of the Burning Light, the mage Dion leaves her self-imposed seclusion to do battle with the forces of necromancy that threaten her homeland. Set against a Renaissance-like society of magic and politics, this sequel to Mage Heart (Avon, 1997) depicts a young woman's struggle to balance the needs of her considerable magical powers with her desire for love in a world fraught with duplicity and betrayal. Routley's attention to detail and her gift for creating strong characters make this a good choice for most fantasy collections.

Library Journal

Sequel to the mass market Mage Heart, continuing the adventures of narrator and mage Dion. As part of the power struggle tearing Moria asunder, the Church of the Burning Light, led by the priest Darmen Stalker, has taken up necromancy (that is, they summon demons). By his control over these demons, Stalker intends to make himself ruler of Moria. Now when young, Dion was taken away from her innkeeper family to be trained as a mage. Suddenly two of her brothers show up (she hasn't seen them for years) with the news that their sister Tasha, beguiled by Stalker, has vanished. Dion canþt locate her by magical means, so they must go in search. Stalker, they discover, uses his magic to influence people directly; much worse, he's been feeding on Tasha in order to gain enough power to control his demons. He also wants Dion for his queen. Indeed, Dion finds him attractive (she had previously been drawn to Andre/Bedazzer, another demon in human form). Predictably, Stalker grabs Dion, intending to steal her soul; Dion will need high-powered magical assistance from the Wanderers, or Klementari, a wizardly people determined to reclaim their ancient homeland in Moria. Competently set forth but pedestrian and hackneyed, with some annoyingly obvious borrowings from Tolkien (Moria, Istari, etc.) and a heroine who screams far too much.

Kirkus Reviews