Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind

Joanne Wotypka is a branch library assistant in the Cameron Library and
the University of Alberta.

The world of Tamar has survived one Wizard-induced disaster (The Bane)
and is in no rush to experience another. The mystic crystals of Tamar
(the Karionin) have other ideas; these perhaps-sentient gems are finding
bearers who will be the most powerful Wizards in Tamar’s history.
Powerful Wizards in their own rights, Errin (of the sea-folk) and Elise
(of the land) are drawn into the interspecies politics of Tamar and
forced to put the good of their world above their own desires; the
childhood affection they have for each other grows into a powerful and
perhaps fatal romance.

Brought up to despise Wizards is Jerevan Rayne, who is told that he
will be one of the greatest Wizards of all time, willing or not. A curse
forces him to study magic, but will he be able to break the spell and be
himself again? Errin, Elise, Del (a young Wizard who can control
insects, fish, and birds), and the older Wizards can’t help Jerevan;
he has to learn to help himself. Similarly, Tamar must begin to help
itself, though parental, personal, societal, and cultural pressures seem
to keep the world forever in chaos.

Lyskarion seems overly ambitious at first, with its innumerable plot
lines and huge cast of characters. However, perseverance brings rewards.
As the book progresses, it evolves into a complicated yet intensely
interesting set of intertwined narratives that keep the reader on his or
her toes. The book’s greatest strength is characters as complicated
and passionate as the world they inhabit. All of them, whether they be
Wizard or not, are continually forced to choose between what they want,
what they think they want, and what’s being demanded of them.
Lyskarion is a welcome addition to the recent explosion in fantasy
writing, and the next volume will be eagerly awaited.