Fiona Patton, The Silver Lake

The Silver Lake

Fiona Patton

Daw, Nov 2005, $23.95, 400 pp.

ISBN 0756401852

The God-Wall protects the city of Anavatan, the Silver Lake known as Gol-Beyaz where the six Gods live, and twelve outlying villages. The power and richness of the city is a magnet to the barbarian tribes like the Yuruk, who each year unsuccessfully try to breach the wall. The spirits (essences of prophecy) want form, and to have that they need to drink from the lake and eat the people unsworn to any God; neither the tribes nor the spirits have managed to breach the wall, except this year during the event known as Havo's Dance

During the second night of the event, the spirits attack teens Brax, his younger friend Spar, and the malevolent Graize. Brax calls on the God of Battle, Estavia for help, and she makes him and Spar her own. Graize wakes up, spirit filled in the plains, where he meets up with a Yuruk tribe who take him in, and prophecies that this year they will be able to breach the God walls, because the spirits who want substance will help him. Brax becomes Estavia's champion and is destined to meet Graize in battle, while Spar is trying to find a place for himself without giving in to a seer that speaks to him telepathically, and wants to use him in his plans for conquest.

The first book in The Warriors of Estavia is a fantastic fantasy filled with action, intrigue, and refreshingly original and realistic characters. The bond between Brax and Spar is beautiful to behold, and the pair change over the cycle of the book in a realistic manner, as they are shown love combined with discipline. An expert world builder, Fiona Patton actually has her audience believing in Gods who commonly manifest themselves to their people in the physical form.

Harriet Klausner