David B. Coe, Weavers of War

Weavers of War

David B. Coe

Tor, Feb 2007 $27.95, 432 pp.

ISBN 0765312464

In the Forelands, the Eandi have subjugated the Qirsi, a race with incredible magical powers though they are small in numbers. Their white skins and yellow eyes set them apart from the rest of humanity and though they hold positions in the courts and stations of the various realms they are answerable to the Eandi who are their overlords. Sick of the status quo, a movement has built up over the years in which the Qirsi led by Dusaan foment rebellion, unrest among various realms' houses and clans.

Dusaan is a Weaver, a powerful mage, who not only has every Qirsi power but can use the powers of the various other Qirsi, weaving them into weapons that could be used against the Eandi in the seven realms. Only one man can stop him, the Weaver known as Grinsa, but first he must find a way to prevent the various Eandi factions from fighting each other and join against the common enemy. Even then he doesn't know, even with the Qirsi who are loyal to the Eandi and willing to back him, if he has strength to defeat Dusaan.

This is the fifth and final book in the Winds of the Forelands saga and it ties up all the loose ends, as enemies are revealed and allies come out in the open in a final confrontation. Grinsa is a complex character who makes difficult choices and stands by them, allying himself with Eandi and those Qirsi loyal to them because that he believes is the only way his race will gain equality. David B. Coe is a powerful storyteller and an excellent worldbuilder.

Harriet Klausner