Firebird's Vengeance (Isavalta Trilogy) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Brigets story resumes with the revelation that Briget's daughter Anna is alive - knowing this she will allow nothing to hinder her search for her daughter.

The landscape is in ruins as the Firebird is released and wreaks vengenance on those who have allowed it's captivity for so long, and both Isavalta and the Seven Kingdoms.

In a devestating world of fire, flame and demons, Anna must find the strength to free herself from her captivity as her father Valin Kalami seeks to control her even beyond the grave.

The spirit world have a vested interest in events, and interfere sometimes benevolently and occasionally malign.

Preponderance of wonderful characters throughout and my favorite is Anna's bodyguard, a dedicated and honour bound young (female) soldier ... the romance between Briget and Sorcha, only hinted at in the first book, is an enjoyable plus.

It is interesting that the characters motives are so very justified, from Medeoan to Kasha to the sorceror who is Anna's father - a little bit like the misguided attempts of some revolutionists or freedom fighters who cause so much tragedy in our world. The author does an excellent job of making even the villians sypmathetic.

Brilliant - I was devestated when I finished.

Kotori - ojadis@yahoo.com

"The Firebird's Vengeance" is the third novel in Zettel's Isavalta trilogy, but picks up shortly after the events in "A Sorcerer's Treason" (since "The Usurper's Crown" was more of a prequel). Bridget has returned to Isvalta to build a life there, but that is quickly thrown into turmoil once more when she learns that the Firebird has vowed revenge against Isavalta and Hung-Tse, and that the daughter she thought was long dead may still be alive.

The daughter, Anna, is in fact still alive, and the story follows her travels through a good portion of the book. She is accompanied by her guard, Mae Shan, who I thought was one of the best characters that Zettel has created in this series. She makes a far better heroine than Bridget or Ingrid, and I was mostly interested in her story, and her interaction with Anna and the others. Mae Shan is intelligent, strong, quick-witted, resourceful, and compassionate, but still maintains a vulnerability that makes her easy to sympathize with. Anna as well is very likeable, and despite her power, a believable child.

Other storylines involve Bridget and Sakra as they simultaneously search for Anna and try to discover a way to stop the Firebird; Mikkel and Ananda as they deal with the unrest in their kingdom; Grace as she finally faces what's happening to her family; and of course, the spirit powers who are still vaguely defined and yet controlling many of the outcomes in the novel.

Once again, some of the issues I had with the previous novel are still there. The spirit powers, for one, who actively influence events but never reveal their reasonings are still annoying. It simply results in their use as plot devices, to present problems or offer tidy solutions without any real explanation. The use of magic is also still very erratic.

But other than that, the story itself is actually very engrossing. The depth of characterization has improved, as has the writing style, which flows more easily now. I'd say this was a lot better than the prior novels, and was a very satisfying read.

I thought this was a well-written and well thought out sequel to a sorcerer's treason. it tied up all loose ends and allowed for a possible third book re: bridget and her adventures in isavalta.