This week’s rec is for The Daemon Prism, released last month, the third (and
final) novel in Carol Berg’s wonderful Collegia Magica series. So hey, all you epic fantasy fans who are
leery of reading series until the final book’s out, run go buy all three
Collegia Magica books: The Spirit Lens, The Soul Mirror, and The Daemon Prism.
I could rave all day about the twisty plots
and wonderfully detailed worldbuilding, but really, it’s Berg's characters that
truly hook me. She does such a stellar
job of writing characters that feel utterly real – and then putting them
through hell to explore the deepest parts of their psyche. Each of the Collegia Magica books is told
from a different primary first-person narrator’s perspective (though in this
third novel, the primary perspective is mixed with perspectives from previous
narrators as well). The narrators are
hugely different people, both in personality and background, and Berg handles
their different voices with aplomb.
I
was particularly excited for The Daemon Prism since it’s largely told from
the POV of a character who’s been a bit of an enigma in the preceding two
novels. It’s a terrific conclusion to
the series, full of adventure and tension and pitch-perfect emotional moments. It kills me that Berg doesn’t have a wider
readership in fantasy circles, especially given her steady output of excellent
novels like this one. If you like
fantasy and you haven’t read her novels, you simply must give them a try.
I am so excited about this. A little more work to do then diving in.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of these books before I saw your blog post, but now I feel like I've really been missing out! I'm going to have to track down this series and give it a read; it sounds quite interesting. Thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteMaz - yay! The Daemon Prism will make a great reward. :)
ReplyDeleteRia - oh gosh, yes, you've been missing out if you haven't read any Berg novels! My absolute favorites of hers are the Lighthouse Duet books (Flesh & Spirit/ Breath & Bone), but her Rai-Kirah series (Transformation / Revelation / Restoration) are all excellent, just like the Collegia Magica books, and her Bridge of D'Arnath quartet is also great...oh heck, I love pretty much everything she's written. If my blog post inspires you to read any of her novels, then this whole blogging thing is totally worth it. :)