THE SILENT HOUSE: A Chronicle of Aglirta

In this complex, fast-paced heroic fantasy, the first to give a sweeping overview of the world of Aglirta, Canadian author Greenwood focuses on the transformation of Silent House, the ancestral estate of the Silver-tree clan mentioned in his Band of Four series (The Kingless Land , etc.), from a stronghold into a living entity. As the increasingly sentient Silent House tries to protect its charges with supernatural force, it unintentionally releases a curse. Characters are as confused by their own ambiguous motives as they are by one another. Beneath all the surface action and adventure, the romance and battles that are standard sword-and-sorcery fare, the author subtly explores the effects of culpability and remorse. He extols ideals of heritage and courage even as he depicts often misguided individual motives with grim naturalism. This is a book as philosophically engaging as it is entertaining. Agent, Andy Zack. (July 6)

FYI: Greenwood is the creator of the Forgotten Realms role-playing game series.