Fifth Quarter (Paperback)

In addition, I didn't care for the objects of their quest: (1) to acquire the body of a prince and push HIS spirit out of his body and (2) to locate a "could-have-been" bard who is raising the dead, like zombies. The whole "walk of the living dead" portions of the novel were too dark for me, but I generally prefer my fantasy to be more idyllic, epic, or lighthearted.

Hey, this book might be for you if the gothic or vampires appeal. If not, I'd pass on this one. Read "Sing the Four Quarters" (book 1) and "The Quartered Sea" (book 4) instead and skip the two middle novels. Both are self-contained enough that books 2 and 3 won't be missed.

Tanya Huff sets "Fifth Quarter" in the same world as "Sing the Four Quarters". There are Bards who can Sing to the 'kigh', the elemental spirits of earth, air, fire, and water. The Empire and its armies are major elements in the plot. However, "Fifth Quarter" is not a continuation of the earlier book. It is the story of brother and sister assassins, who end up inhabiting the same body (the sister's) when they attempt to kill a man who has discovered the secret of eternal life. How the brother gets his body back is one of the book's dominant plot lines, along with the hunt for the grim reaper, who has abducted the Emperor's son.

I didn't enjoy "Fifth Quarter" as much as Huff's earlier book. It dwells too much on incest and decaying bodies. However, it is a strong, well-plotted novel with likeable, interesting characters (the only exception is the narcissistic brother-assassin). Huff does her usual good job with the minor characters, too. I grew especially fond of the city guard who is one of the first to encounter the walking dead. She survives the encounter, only to be demoted because no one believes her. Next, she barely escapes death at the hand of the sister-assassin. Finally, she stumbles across the assassin who has sworn to kill the brother-sister team because they deserted the Army..

I've already bought the sequel, "No Quarter" to see what happens to Vree and her new live-in companion. Huff is always worth reading, especially for her carefully developed characters.