Sunday, February 3, 2008

Poison Sleep-T.A. Pratt

Poison Sleep
T.A. Pratt
Bantam, Apr 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780553589993

Felport chief sorcerer Marla Mason is called to the Blackwing Institute for deranged sorcerers; she learns that an insane prisoner tried to escape, but was caught. However, her escape attempt wakes up Genevieve Kelly, who has been in a catatonic sleep for fifteen years after being raped. She is considered dangerous because Genevieve is a reweaver who can change physical reality. Genevieve transported herself to a dream state and only enters the real realm for a few minutes at a time with no pattern to her visits.

Maria has to find Genevieve because her reality is bleeding into the real world with flowers, towers and supernatural beings appearing. Maria is unaware that she is also under assault from powerful sorcerer Gregor who was informed by a seer that if he leaves his building Maria will kill him. Zealand the assassin tries to kill Maria, but he becomes entangled in Genevieve’s world and his feelings for Genevieve change his priorities. Marie knows that a battle is coming between her and her allies against Gregor and hi minions with the future of Felport at stake.

In the Pratt universe, magic remains in the shadows so the ordinaries remain ignorant. Thus this dark urban fantasy is dominated by a ruthless lead protagonist who will do whatever it takes to protect her friends and city even if it means causing havoc amidst the mundane realm. The sorcerers have their own culture that coexist with the mundanes but are more powerful as they work behind the scenes. However in POISON SLEEP Maria and company may prove too weak against Gregor and his cohort Reave who wants to rule the world after he takes care of Marla.

Harriet Klausner

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