Faces
E.C. Blake
DAW, Jul 7 2015, $19.95
ISBN: 9780756409395
With her father being the Autarch Master
Maskmaker in Aygrima, Mara Holdfast's future seemed predestined as his
apprentice. However, at her rite of
passage ceremony, the mask her father made for her broke apart marking her as a
traitor. Stunned and despondent, Mara is
banished from her upper class existence to a deadly short life at a mining
camp. Believing Mara is the key to their
revolt, the Unmasked rebels rescue her so that she can create masks for them. Though like her father Mara can see and use
all the colors, her efforts crumble (see Shadows and Masks); unlike her
despotic sire, she fears draining the life forces of others needed to compete
her magic.
Distrusting her father to instruct her, a wary Mara turns to the
only other known person with their skill level, Lady of Pain and Fire to teach
her. As she learns to use her extremely
rare talent in the sanctuary of the Lady of Pain and Fire, Prince Chell’s army
and the Unmasked plot to overthrow the deadly rule of the Autarch.
Targeting young teens and tweeners, the final Masks
of Aygrima fantasy is a tremendous climax to an excellent coming of age
trilogy. The keys to the anticipated
confrontation are the heroine and her teammates and allies suffer setbacks that amplify
their already deep fears of failure and death; and doubts about the road taken
and more crippling thoughts of the “Road Not Taken” (Robert Frost).
Harriet Klausner
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