The Shadow Sorceress: The Fourth Book of the Spellsong Cycle

The only disappointment was the lack of happenings with Anna after the first book, but her heir carried on the tradition wonderfuly!

I wrestled over how many stars. The book was well written, but for those of us following the series, it just didn't fit right. For one thing, there was too much missing. We know that Anna's last campaign bought 20 years of peace to Defalk and that during that time she apparently had 10 good years with Jecks before he died, and she also had time to raise Secca, orphaned earlier in the series. But other than that, what happened to all the other people? Now Anna has died. The powers that were held back peacefully because of fear of her are now unleashed. It is Secca's turn to fight the good fight. One problem I had was Secca was too much a carbon copy of Anna. If we're going to get a new heroine, she needs to be her own person. For one thing, we all agreed that Anna was one-of-a-kind, and this spoils it!I also expected Jimbob (aka Robero) would grow up a little more mature. Just like Secca had that realization "oh-oh, it's me in the driver's seat" I expected a similar realization from the heir of Defalk. Secca is running around from country to country putting her life and others' lives on the line on a daily basis, while Robero sits at home and plays king. I think in Secca's place, I would have defected half way thru the novel!I would have been impressed if Secca discovered something new about sorcery, that got the impossible done quicker. Perhaps by going to Sturin. I actually expected her to start playing around with drums... maybe even dance. Possibly discovering a whole continent and new world with new problems, new trade potentials on the other side of that world. Well, there's still Richina. I have hopes for Richina!

You would have thought that after four books of the Spell Song Cycle that all of the 33 Lords of Defalk would have been identified by now. Well, you would be wrong. Missing, from the list at the front of the book, is the Vyarl, Rider of Heinene from the list in the Shadow Sorceress. Has he died? Is he still the Rider?Is Alseta or Ytrude the Lady of Mossbach? The relationship between Kinor and Alseta, who are brother and sister, is not mentioned.Who are the Ladies of Shadow? The Regent Anna buried a city, shouldn't they have made an appearance before 'The Shadow Sorceress'?To me, Modestitt treats all his protaganists in the same manner, whether they are male or female. First they have things happen to them and then they remove all obstacles in their path.I'd like to see more intrigue within the land of Defalk and some intelligent action from the Sturrinese. From their actions in the series, I find it impossible to reconcile statements to the effect that they always achieve what they set out to do.A final bugbear - why do we have scores and companies of troops? This particular itch has been with me for 9 books of the Recluce series.I think that the Shadow Sorceress would have benefitted from more characterisation of Secca. The last we "saw" of her she was 9 years old and "now" she's 31. Character development please!Secca is the Lady of Flossbend, yet she is not mentioned as visiting throughout the book and she takes no troops from there on her expeditions, why not?I do like the work of this author and this Cycle could be even better than Recluce. For that to happen the Sturrinese would have to act more intelligently than the Hamorians ever managed.

Twenty years have passed since Anna was forcibly ripped away from her home in the Mist Worlds and sent to a beleaguered world that needed her singing abilities. In Liedwahr, singers are powerful sorcerers and Anna turned out to be the strongest, winning battle after battle until peace settled in the realm. Anna adopted Secca and taught her all she knew about sorcery.When Anna died, a nation mourned, but Secca could not remain weeping long. An insurrection in a neighboring province needs to be stopped before anyone else thinks a power vacuum has occurred with Anna's death. In spite of her efforts, Secca has a gigantic workload ahead of her, including crushing a rebellion at several locales as the Sturinnn blockade needs breaking and the Nesera revolt needs halting, etc.A new arc of the Spellsong Cycle begins starring a powerful but uncertain Sorceress-Protector who must follow her mentor-mother's incredible accomplishments. There is plenty of action with sword and sorcery battles even as the key characters are fully developed so their actions are understandable. THE SHADOW SORCERESS is a triumphant epic fantasy.Harriet Klausner