Gathering Flame

The Gathering Flame (1995) is the fourth novel written in the Mageworlds series. At this time, however, it is the third in internal chronological sequence, following A Working of Stars and preceding The Price of the Stars. Five hundred years before, a Great Working was performed to bridge the eiran across The Gap Between. The only surviving Mage from that Circle, Arekhon Khreseio sus-Khalgath sus-Peledaen, had returned to his lover Elaeli Inadi syn-Peledaen, known as the Maestra Elela Rosselin, on Entibor and now serves her descendants as Ser Hafrey, the Armsmaster. The Mages have begun raiding across the Gap Between and threaten Entibor. Perada Rosselin has just inherited the title of Domina of Entibor and, in the company of Ser Hafrey and Nivome do'Evaan of Rolny, is traveling from Galcen to Entibor to receive her crown. On the way, she takes a side-journey to Waycross on Innish-Kyl in order to converse with Jos Metadi, the leader of a fleet of privateers attacking Mage conveys. Perada wants Jos to command her fleet against the Mages and is offering to take him as her consort if he will become her General of Armies. Metada turns her down and tries to leave, but finds the door locked from the outside. Escaping the building by the back way, Jos and Perada are fired upon by unknown assailants and flee to Metada's ship, the Warhammer. Errec Ransome, an Adept who survived the Mage attack on Ilarna, is the navigator on the Warhammer, Nannla and Tillijen are the gunners, and Ferrdacor the Selvaur is the engineer. This novel tells the backstory of the First Mage War and the formation of the Republic. It shows why Errec Ransome is called the Breaker of Circles, how Entibor was Lost, and what caused the Rolny enmity toward the Rosselin-Metadi clan. It also gives some background on the other planets involved in the original trilogy. This novel may be a prequel, but it throughly enjoyable in itself. Recommended for all Mageworlds fans and anyone who enjoys interstellar politics and intrigue. -Arthur W. Jordin

The characters are intensely personal. You almost know their thoughts and want to help them in their trials.

From it's opening scenes, The Gathering Flame moves quickly and excitingly through the introducing of the main characters and smoothly catches us up with how they got to be the people they are. Besides wanting to read this story I bought it specifically to take to a SciFi Con and have signed by Doyle and MacDonald. Despite the obvious distractions of traveling 800 miles and an extremely enjoyable Con, I couldn't rest upon returning home until I finished this book. Pick it up, you won't want to put it down.

This fascinating prequel to Mageworlds lets you see General Metadi and the Domina Perada in their youth, and how the events of the later books got started. It's an intense story of people and planets fighting for their lives on several fronts, and also an epic (if really unusual) romance. If you've already read Mageworlds, get ready for some shocks as you learn some of the things Jos and Perada never told the kids! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Mageworlds is AWESOME and this prequel is no exception!

The book moves along at a decent clip. The characters are well though out and the 3 remaining books in the series continue the stories of the characters we meet in this first book. It is a good read on a plane or when you want to occupy your mind with something other then what you are currently doin