Flights of Marigold

The solid second book in Forest’s Addicted to Heaven series (after Bursts of Fire) returns to the world of the Seven Kingdoms, where a rebellion brews and magic users called magiels are persecuted. Magiel sisters Janat and Meg Falconer work with the Uprising, led by the King-in-Exile Dwyn Gramaret, until Janat’s worsening magic addiction drives them to leave. Meg brings Janat to Pagoras, a country that is mostly safe for magiels, to recover. But when a rumor reaches them about the Amber Prayer Stone, a powerful magical artifact thought to be lost, they set off to Highglen, a land in transition between two rulers, in search of it. Highglen is also home to Meg and Janat’s estranged sister, Rennika Falconer, a powerful magiel who’s able to pass as a worldling. With help from Rennika, Meg balances caring for Janat, hunting for the Amber before it can fall into the wrong hands, and evading both the soldiers from the castle and the uprisers who want to bring her back into their fold. Forest skillfully uses her fantasy setting to spin a tale of addiction and familial loyalty. Though the plot lacks resolution, marking this as setup for future installments, this is sure to satisfy readers who are invested in the Falconer sisters’ story lines. (Aug.)