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Karen Miller, The Innocent MageKaren Miller

Miller, and Hachette’s new mass market imprint Orbit, debuts with a solid epic that posits political intrigue, ethereal prophecies and a rags-to-riches hero against a vivid if familiar fantasy backdrop (sure to provoke déjà vu in fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire ). Fisherman’s son Asher seeks his fortune in the capital city of Dorana, home to the royal family and the magic-using race called Doranen. After a chance encounter, Asher begins working in the palace as assistant/apprentice to Crown Prince Gar; meanwhile, an underground sect watches Asher and secretly guides his fate, believing him the key to an ancient, apocalyptic prophecy. The erudite Prince Gar, meanwhile, has concerns of his own: flagging popularity (over his decision to take lowly Asher under his wing) and his combative sister’s inheritance, the weather-controlling magic that keeps their kingdom secure. Though Asher’s cynical salt-of-the-earth act is overused, and characters can be frustratingly pouty, Miller’s prose is earnest and engaging, and his complex story accelerates nicely toward a brutal cliffhanger finale. Hints of an epic confrontation to come will leave readers eager to find out, in forthcoming installments, where Asher’s destiny leads. (Sept.)

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Reviewed on: 07/23/2007

Genre: Fiction

Compact Disc - 979-8-200-10078-1

Compact Disc - 978-1-4001-1984-4

MP3 CD - 979-8-200-10079-8

Open Ebook - 327 pages - 978-0-316-21280-9

Open Ebook - 300 pages - 978-0-316-21279-3

Open Ebook - 560 pages - 978-0-7304-0126-1

Paperback - 560 pages - 978-0-7322-8079-6