Short Book Reviews: Speaking With Ghosts Can Get You Killed

 Daughter of Redwinter, by Ed McDonald (Tor)

What a great read! From the first page, this book grabbed meand carried me along. Superb action, wonderful characters, ever-escalatingstakes, and mystery. The story opens with Raine, our heroine, creeping out theback way from a monastery under military siege, looking for an escape route,only to encounter a mysterious wounded woman who is desperate to get back in.On the woman’s heels are a group of warrior-magicians, bent on stopping hereven if it means tearing down the walls. The military besiegers are willing toaid the magicians, but what they’re after is inside — people with “grave-sight”that allows them to see, and sometimes speak with, the dead. Raine is one ofthose with the talent that means execution, should it be discovered. All herlife she has hidden, lied, and run away to save her skin, and she’s made somespectacularly bad choices along the way.

The book was full of drama and poignant emotion, hard-bittenaction and sweet romance. The balance between slowly unfolding mystery,lightning reversals and betrayals, and coming of age of a most remarkableheroine was exceptionally well handled. Most of all, from the very firstparagraphs, I found myself relaxing into the hands of a master storyteller,confident that wherever the tale took me, it would be a wild and infinitelysatisfying ride. I was never disappointed.