Wolf's Cub

In a fantastical land wracked by civil war and practitioners of the ""Black Arts,"" the unwilling hero of Wood's first novel soldiers on to defend his father's land. After one of his brothers dies in battle, and another is ""caught making blood sacrifice to the Forbidden powers,"" the bookish Prince Herric succeeds to the throne, abandoning his true love to make an advantageous match to the witchy beauty Elaine. Arthurian battles, rich with blood, longswords and whinnying roans, proliferate as the enemy multiplies and Herric comes to realize that his true nemesis is Master Worgan, shaper of spells. Though Wood spends more time on the political and military elements of her plot than some fantasy devotees might wish, she renders well the grim physical and psychological effects of war. Fantasy readers looking for a new voice, especially one more realistic than mystical, may find what they like here. (Nov.)