Wizard's Eleven [Mass Market Paperback]

Wizard's Eleven sets out, perhaps more clearly than in the previous books, the world of the True Game, the society of Gamesmen, and the nature of Talents. Like most of Tepper's books, it also raises questions of law versus justice, the appropriate use of power, and the ethics of concealing one's gifts or nature. Recommended, but only after you've read at least King's Blood Four and Necromancer Nine.

When Windlow's blue suddenly has a vision of Silkhands and Peter gone far to the north, the young shapechanger seizes the excuse and sets off to visit. No sooner are they on the road than an attack befalls them and Peter realizes that he has more to fear than just Huld. He and Chance survive the game and arrive in Xammer to the delight of Silkhands. When a minstrel sings the two of them a haunting song, both decide to head North, accompanying Jinian Footseer to her proposed husband. And Jinian is very, very special.

And so they are off, passing places with eerie names - Dindinaroo, Waeneye, and the Wastes of Bleer, encountering old friends and new, and some familiar enemies. Peter seems for ordained to bring about the changes that Mertyn and Himaggery dream of, but he must first face the places of bone and Huld's unending betrayal and evil.

There is a writer's urban legend that says that one of a trilogy is supposed to be worse than the others are. I am here to insist that with Sheri Tepper this is hardly the case. Not only is this first of the three trilogies composed of staves of equal strength, but also there is more to come for anyone so bespelled. Three times now I have read "King's Blood Four," "Necromancer's Nine," and "Wizard's Eleven" all in gulps because I can't make myself stop. Three times for three threes - I confess - I am charmed.