This is a stand alone novel by one of my favorite authors, Garth Nix. I first discovered Garth in his Sabriel series many years ago, so this book was my first of his in many years. The premise for magic use and the world building was unique, even for a Nix novel. A world based on magic tied to angels and arch-angels in seventeenth century France, it was wreathed in mystery and betrayal and friendship.
I Really struggled to rate this book, but finally landed on a 3.5/5.
** Alert Spoilers Below**
In this universe, magic users must call on angels to utilize it. This wreaks havoc on their body as the spells require life in exchange for magic. The more powerful the angel, the more life required to summon them. The summons require icons, beautifully crafted ringlets and symbols, specific to each Angel.
Our main antagonist, Lilliath, is a very powerful angel mage, if not the most powerful we encounter in the book. She is immune to the life drain normal to utilizing Angels for spells. She has just awoken from a century long slumber, before which, she had caused the Fall of Ystara. Her only driving need is to be united with her arch angel lover, Palleniel.
In the Fall of Ystara, all of it’s people were either killed by the ashblood plague, or evolved into hideous beasts. The survivor’s followed Lilliath into the closest province, Sarance. The descendants will never join the city as equals as performing magic on their blood transforms it to ash. They are shunned by most of the city and now called the Refusers.
Now, in the modern age, she simply promises them their dreams but has no intention handing it over. She is cold and heartless and a great villain. Due to her power, there are many protagonists that choose to stand against her, but the four at the top are four descendants of Ystara but they remain untouched by ashblood plague and capable of magic. Lilliath intends to recruit them, but only to use them to meet Palleniel. They have no plans to become fodder and it sets us up for an incredible battle.
The four descendants are: Simeon, a large man and doctor in training; Agnez, a new musketeer recruit; Henri, a clerk moving up the ranks in employment of the architect building a new palace; and Dorotea, a gifted icon-maker and scholar of the mages college. They are drawn together, due to their heritage, as though brothers and sisters. The final culmination of deception and betrayal happens within the Temple if Ystara and Lilliath betrays the 4, trying to sacrifice them to Pallenial. They thwart her plans and Dorotea manages to convince her to ascend to Pallenial rather than trying to force him to the surface.
Altogether, a good read.