Rising Fire

Three-time Rita Award finalist Brisbin unveils a stock romantic fantasy series set in 1286 Scotland. The powers of the old gods rise to protect the world from Chaela, the goddess of fire and chaos. Though trapped beneath forbidding standing stones, Chaela manages to contact Lord Hugh de Gifford and make him a conduit through which she can rise again. Lord Hugh’s bastard daughter, Brienne, discovers that she can manipulate fire; at the same time, William de Brus, who has been sent to spy on Lord Hugh for King Alexander of Scotland, discerns that he too has mysterious powers that manifest most fully when Brienne is in danger. Romance blossoms between the generally likable protagonists, propping up a formulaic fantasy background that will hopefully develop more fully as the series continues. (Mar.)