Spirit Fox (Daw Book Collectors 1105)

This collaboration between two skilled fantasists introduces an epic struggle that could ultimately destroy an entire civilization unless a special young woman, spirit-linked to a fox at birth, can harness her giftThe Joyous Reunion has brought peace to the people eof the River and the Marchlands. With learning the art of warfare now prohibited, it seems peace will be assured for eternity. But the arrival of a well-trained foreign army—complete with Magians who practice the magic of destruction—may spell the death of this now-defenseless civilization. At greatest risk are the magic-gifted healers and the spirit-linked—men and women linked at birth with an animal who shares their thoughts, emotions, and even physical sensations. For the Magians have sworn to annihilate them.Perhaps most in danger is Kiarda, a young woman destined to be spirit-linked to a fox. But when the fox kit is killed at the time of Kiarda’s birth, its spirit has nowhere to go but into the infant’s own body.This unheard-of event leaves Kiarda ill-prepared when her unsuspected link finally claims her, transforming her into the companion whose spirit is totally entwined with her own. The resulting misunderstanding will see an innocent man condemned to death, and send Kiarda on an odyssey into the very heart of danger.Targeted for destruction and with only one trained warrior in her party, what chance does Kiarda have of surviving to carry the warning home before it’s too late?

From Publishers Weekly

In a rather generic fantasy world, a war among the gods that spread to human beings ended in a declaration of universal peace. Armed forces no longer exist, and even weapons training is considered blasphemous. Human beings link with the spirits of animals, and a female, Kiardra, is destined to link at birth with the spirit of a fox cub. But the cub dies and the orphaned fox spirit flees to its only possible refuge?Kiardra. She grows up inhabited by this spirit, protected by her family from persecution. By the time she is an adult, her land faces invasion by a hostile army, well furnished with potent mages and determined to destroy all the spirit-linked among their enemies. Kiardra winds up playing a vital role in repelling the invasion. The characterization, dialogue and magic scenes are all up to Reichert's previous standard (Beyond Ragnarok, etc.)?this is Wingert's debut?but the authors fail to plausibly develop the underlying premise of religiously enforced pacifism. As a result, a novel in many respects quite well crafted ultimately fails. Reichert has done better, particularly when she has drawn on Norse folklore and myth; presumably she, and hopefully Wingert, will make a stronger showing next time out. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When a "Joyous Reunion" between warring gods introduces a state of perpetual peace between the peoples of the River and the Marshlands, both cultures ban the study of war and look forward to an endless future of prosperity. When conquerors invade the lands, seeking to impose their monotheistic religion on the barbarians of the Marshlands, only a small group of individuals?including a renegade warrior, a psychologically scarred shapeshifter, and an open-minded priest?can find a way to prevent an unwinnable war. Veteran fantasy author Reichert and first-time novelist Wingert combine their talents to deliver a well-crafted story of conflicting beliefs and transcendent loyalties that belongs in most libraries.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Mickey Zucker Reichert is a pediatrician, parent, animal lover, and author of twenty-some novels including Renshai, Nightfall, Barakhai, and Bifrost series, one illustrated novella, and fifty-plus short stories. She can be found at mickeyzuckerreichert.com.

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