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Twelve Kingdoms #2
Spells of Mortal Weaving
Prince Alban finds his curse of unrequited love fulfilled, when his quest for Lady Ursula takes him into the realm of the deadly Morgeld.
- GenresFantasy
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1986
78 people want to read
About the author
Esther M. Friesner
265 books711 followersEsther M. Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A's in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University; within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She has published twenty-seven novels so far; her most recent titles include Temping Fate from Penguin-Puffin and Nobody's Princess from Random House.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 13, 2016
My notes are littered with names--Patricia McKillip, John Bellairs, Lawrence Watt-Evans, L Sprague de Camp, Neil Gaiman via Stardust, possibly William Morris, Andrew Lang--attempting to nail down what this book and its writing is most like. I'm not really satisfied with any of these comparisons, possibly because this sort of magic-rich high fantasy bordering on fairy tale isn't in my wheelhouse.
It's very enjoyable, of course, with wonderful writing that's never quite whimsical but also sort of cozy. Elements of menace are stepped down: the sinister Morgeld attempts to subvert prophecy not by killing the woman destined to bear his nemesis, but by marrying her and thus preventing the pregnancy. The heroes always encounter just enough help or sympathy to let them keep going. Despair is never a consideration.
Curiously, and I wonder at the structure of this, the heroes of the previous book appear as supporting characters in this one. It is a sequel but not a direct continuation of that adventure.
It's very enjoyable, of course, with wonderful writing that's never quite whimsical but also sort of cozy. Elements of menace are stepped down: the sinister Morgeld attempts to subvert prophecy not by killing the woman destined to bear his nemesis, but by marrying her and thus preventing the pregnancy. The heroes always encounter just enough help or sympathy to let them keep going. Despair is never a consideration.
Curiously, and I wonder at the structure of this, the heroes of the previous book appear as supporting characters in this one. It is a sequel but not a direct continuation of that adventure.
August 2, 2015
2nd in series.
March 12, 2017
Friesner is always a fun, quick read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews