The Soprano Sorceress

The Soprano Sorceress is the first novel in the Spellsong Cycle. In the world of Erde, sorcerers and sorceresses can use songs to build or destroy. Lord Brill uses song to build the foundations and walls of a fortress and then uses another song to destroy one of his musicians, Culain, whom he accuses of humming despite prior warning. Culain's son, Daffyd, wants revenge for this wrongful death and asks his friend Jenny to bring a sorceress from the mists to kill Lord Brill.In this novel, Anna Marshall is a singer and music instructor at Iowa State University. She is a divorcee and has recently lost her daughter. She is on her way to sing at the Founders' Dinner for major donors when the world swirls around her. After a swaying step, she finds herself in a small, gloomy room in a peasant cottage on the world of Erde. Trying hard to remain calm, Anna questions Daffyd and Jenny to learn how and why she was brought to Erde. Meanwhile, Lord Brill is notified of the arrival by his magical alarm system and is shown the view in Jenny's cottage.When Brill arrives at Jenny's cottage, he invites Anna to join him for supper at his Hall. On the way back in his carriage, he explains something of the nature and hazards of sorcery and tries to persuade her of his good intentions and the dangers facing Defalk. Her quarters are sumptuous and even has its own jakes. The Hall is guarded by armored men with swords and bows, yet is cooled by Lord Brill's magic. After washing her face and hands, Anna comes down for dinner, but is more interested in learning more about Erde and magic.Lord Brill is building a fortress to defend against the Dark Monks, who have used massed Darksong to conquer Ebra. Now they threaten both Defalk and Ranuak. Lord Brill wants Anna to stand with him against the dark ones.When Anna is brought through the mists to Erde, another alarm sounds among the Dark Monks. The Songmaster is informed that a Sorceress has been taken to Lord Brill's Hall, but nothing is known of her origins. He orders a thorough investigation of the new Sorceress.This novel is a sword and sorceress fantasy with a number of twists and differences. Of course, the use of song to produce magic is not new; Foster's Spellsinger series exploits the same gimmick. However, this tale is a little more serious, with a more developed sociological and political structure as well as a cast of powerfully portrayed characters. Moreover, the energy losses from using spellsong are well-considered.While the author shows snippets of Anna's inner thoughts, he does not fully explain her actions, so there is a continual suspense generated by her behavior. At first, she waits and gathers information, but then she cuts loose with her own sorcery.The autobiographical aspects of this novel, and Of Tangible Ghosts, are intriquing. The author is married to a classical concert singer and some of the concerns and behavior probably come from real life. I wonder if his wife is also an

I'm a huge fan of Modesitt, but when I first read the back cover of this book I wasn't at all interested. In fact, it was months before I purchased and read it. I guess there's something to be said for not judging a book by its cover (or in this case the back cover). I find it to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. Anna was a very interesting character - not the stereotypical hero who is told to save the world and bravely goes about doing it. Having a hero who questions herself and her actions is refreshing. The political dimension of her powers and actions I found particularly intriguing (this is developed in greater detail in the later books of the series).As I first said, I didn't want to read it. But since I have, I've eagerly awaited each new book in the series (and I've bought them in hardback instead of waiting for the paperback version).

L E Modesitt has come up with a winning tale in the story of Anna Marshall, who is taken from her world into a world of magic where songs create the spells. She finds that the literal meaning of her songs can be used to perform magic and must find a way to temper her power. Everyone she wants to stop with a little magic fire ends up burned to a cinder. Her cool water spell brings forth a block of ice in her cup. Modesitt does a great job of showing Anna working to discover how best to use and control her powers. This looks to be the start of a very entertaining series.

I love reading fantasy, and Im able to tolerate many different kinds (even carbon copy types), so long as its enjoyable, fortunately Soprano Sorceress is one such book.Anna is a music teacher at a University, who once had aspirations of a singing career, however family responsibilities and her husbands career took centre stage, now divorced with her eldest daughter killed in a tragic accident Anna is finding it difficult to recover from her loss. While preparing for a performance at the University, Anna is reminded of her daughters death, feeling sad and depressed with her life she wishes she could be somewhere else, which sets in motion events that will forever change her life. Anna finds herself magically transported to the world of Erde, there she discovers her singing ability gives her powerful magic, and with that powerful enemies. Rather than boring as some have stated I found this tale rather exciting and disturbing in parts, there are instances when Anna uses her power to kill and destroy on a massive scale, (think Hiroshima and Ngasaki), it disturbed me that A music teacher would resort to that much violence however justified her reasoning, it was unsettling and perhaps out of character. Overall I enjoyed this tale and Im looking forward to reading the whole series, get a copy you might just like it!

Wonderfully immersive, with strong characters, I only have a few problems, one is the name JIMBOB, I keep seeing the waltons for some reason???, not to mention the way that Anna seemed to take mass murder in her stride, using Nazi ideology as an excuse to commit such an atrocity, I dont think I could condone such action, Hiroshima and Nagasaki comes to mind, I doubt if many of us would actually do what she did to the Ebrans.