Ace, April 2005, 6.99, 336 pp.
ISBN 0441012779
The Isles of Glory consists of eleven island nations, each a country with its own laws and rulers. It is an inbred place because it is forbidden for one islander to marry a person from another island. Blaze Halfbreed is the product of parents of two different islands and was abandoned as a child when it was obvious she was not a purebred. She is not a citizen and cannot gain citizenry from most of the isles but Blaze has Awareness, the ability to see and sense magic.
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This ability makes her useful to the Keepers who rule the Keeper Isles by protecting the weaker islands from being assaulted by the more powerful islanders. Blaze works for the Keepers and in five years if she performs adequately she will be made a citizen of the Keepers Isles. She is on the lawless island, Gorthan Spit, looking for a Cirkasian who ran away from home rather then marry the Bastionlord of Breth who prefers his sex partners to be very young boys.
She meets Flane, a magician who comes to the attention of a very powerful user of Dunmagic. He tries to turn her into a bad magician but Blaze finds a way to save her. The two women form a bond of friendship so that when one is in trouble, the other will help get her out of it. Blaze learns that there are more important things tthan citizenships like friendships and ridding the Isles of Glory of Mordred the most powerful Dinmagican of all.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner