cover image The Truthsayer's Apprentice

The Truthsayer's Apprentice

Deborah Christian. Tor Books, $27.95 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-312-87269-4

Launching her new Loregiver fantasy series, this role-playing walkabout leaves Christian's earlier Mainline setting for a Tolkien-derivative northern universe devoid of any flights into convincing Faerie. Adolescent-angst-filled farm boy Dalin suddenly finds himself alone when a mysterious band of invaders hurls his master, Truthsayer Grannar, from his icy aerie and makes off with the Truthsayer's cloak of office. Dalin follows the band onto a treacherous slope only to be ambushed and left to die by Hanno, a renegade runemaster who plots to steal the cloak from his erstwhile allies. Conveniently saved by a high-ranking elf and the Guardian of the Thorn, who are themselves in pursuit of the garment, Dalin flounders from one predictable scrape to another, until at last he learns to master his innate magical powers. Christian calls up all the usual Old Norse paraphernalia--shape-shifters, selkies, dwarfs, runestones, dragonship. But her story line miscarries, for its characters lack depth and the questing often seems pointless. Though pleasant enough for a little harmless escapism, this excursion into high fantasy is a pedestrian one. Agent, Chris Lottis. (Dec.)