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It is 1872. Ingrid Loftfield and her sister Grace are living uneventful lives with their family on Sand Island, Lake Superior, until the day Grace nearly drowns. Grace becomes inexplicably ill, for she has been saved by the spirit of a drowned sailor which rests uneasily beneath the water. Ingrid can only watch as her sister drifts toward death, lured by the restless spirit, until an immegrant Finnish fisherman, Avan, helps Ingrid release Grace from the spell that binds her.Having rescued her sister, Ingrid herself begins an odyssey stranger than she could imagine. For Avan is not what he's assumed to be. He's Avanasy, a powerful sorcerer who's been banished from another world, Isavalta, where he tutored Medeoan, the princess-heir to the empire until she married a prince of a rival realm. Prince Kacha has won Medeoan's heart, and with the aid of his mentor, a subtle and ambitious sorcerer, plans to win Isavalta, using sweet Medeoan's love and an array of magical means to usurp her crown.Once Avanasy is gone, Kacha acts swiftly to isolate Medeoan from other allies, and to weave a spell that will weaken her so he can rule in her stead. When Medeoan discovers Kacha's treachery she flees, determined to win back her crown. She can only succeed if Avanasy, her oldest friend and most powerful ally, will return to help her. Because Avanasy loves Ingrid Loftfield and she loves him, together they must cross the vast gulf that separates our world from the magical realm of Isavalta. to rescue Medeoan, and fulfill a destiny far beyond Ingrid's wildest dreams.
When a supernatural entity threatens her sister's life, Ingrid Loftfield is thrust into a conflict that spans the boundaries between 1872 Michigan and the magical empire of Isavalta. Ingrid must navigate the sudden revelation that her ally, the fisherman Avan, is actually a banished sorcerer named Avanasy. As Avanasy’s former pupil, Princess Medeoan, faces a coup orchestrated by her treacherous husband, Ingrid finds herself drawn into a high-stakes struggle for a throne in a foreign realm. The narrative shifts between the grounded, atmospheric setting of Lake Superior and the intricate, magic-infused political landscape of Isavalta, forcing Ingrid to reconcile her ordinary life with the demands of a destiny she never sought.
This work is characterized by its blend of historical atmosphere and high-fantasy world-building, creating a distinct contrast between the two settings. The narrative relies on the interplay between the grounded, realistic struggles of the Loftfield family and the expansive, sorcery-laden politics of Isavalta. Readers likely find the transition between the mundane world and the magical realm to be the primary driver of the story's momentum. The focus on the relationship between Ingrid and Avanasy serves as the emotional anchor for the broader, more complex political conflict involving Princess Medeoan. The book suggests a focus on the intersection of personal sacrifice and the responsibilities of leadership within a structured, magical society.
Page Count:
640
Publication Date:
2002-05-01
Publisher:
Voyager
ISBN-10:
0007114028
ISBN-13:
9780007114023
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