The Divided Crown

by Isabel Glass

"Lady Angarred Hashan is an unconventional noblewoman. Raised in exile by her embittered father, abandoned by her extremely unconventional mother, she has nevertheless risen to a position of high power in the Kingdom of Karededin. She and her husband, the magician Mathewar, were confidants of Queen Rodarren, though they chose to live far away from the capital city, at the College of Magicians. There Mathewar is the Master of the College and Angarred studies the Women's Magic of Transformations." "But their absence meant that after Rodarren's unexpected death, her fourteen-year-old son, Jerret, was without their protection. He quickly fell under the influence of an ambitious and ruthless family from the far northern province of Ou, a place of wild magics and dangerous men." "When young King Jerret calls Lady Angarred and Master Mathewar back to the Court, they are surprised and concerned. And their worry turns to fear when they see the city of Pergodi, and the castle itself, full of men and women whose minds have been bound and destroyed by some magical means. The Bound Folk are being created by the Haru family, and Jerret has been convinced that they are vital for the wars that the Harus want to fight and the mines that the Harus are managing for the crown." But Mathewar can see that Jerret himself is partly bound by some magical means. He and Angarred know that they must discover how the usurpers are controlling this magic, and whether the Bound Folk can be unbound and restored to themselves and their lives. The two set out on a quest for knowledge and power that will take them from one end of the world to the other, and deep into their own reserves of courage.

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy

383 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

A pseudonym of Lisa Goldstein.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as good as the one to which it sequels! I greatly enjoy the ability Lisa Goldstein (Isabel Glass) has to tell a good, intriguing story.

[Lisa James · Rating 3 out of 5]

High fantasy, the world was easy to become immersed in! The storyline moved quickly, the characters were believable, and while some were completely unlikable, what I found interesting was that several who were initially unlikable ended up redeeming themselves due to their better natures finally shining through. It left me hoping there's a sequel somewhere that I haven't discovered :)

[Bethtub · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this on the drive from New Hampshire to DC- it's just fine for that. Reading it was like watching a tv-show: not super enthralling but engaging enough that you want to see it through to the end and feel pleasant enough during.

[Sugarrr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't thnk I ever Not Finish a Book. I had to give up On this One. I just could Not get into this One. The Story was very hard to get into, the characters didnt hold my interest and the Story just didnt excite me at all.:( i Read the First 80 Pages . Sorry I guess it was just Not for ME.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

*fart noise*

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Mathewar the Magician is driven mad by half of the divided crown, his shape-shifting wife Lady Angarred is wounded and seeks shelter with Caireddin, the late king’s bastard daughter.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this book. I was hoping here we would get a little more in depth view of Mathewar and Angarred. In my opinion, I don't think that this occurred. There is a story here. There is a beginning, middle and end. However, the depth of the characters is mediocre and I didn't find myself invested in any of them.

Also, given that this book like the last one focuses so much on the use of magic and the magicians and witches involved - I was hoping that there would be more insight into how it works and the culture of it. However, there wasn't really anything there. Magic was an important aspect in the book, but I just felt like I had little understanding of it despite having characters that are enmeshed in it.

This book helped to pass the time, but it wasn't something I'd write home about.

[Meredith Galman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter of Exile had a beautiful enigmatic quality that reminded me strongly of Patricia A. McKillip. This sequel, while competent, lacks the things that made the first one so memorable and charming to me.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to Daughter of Exile, New paths are forged and new magics discovered. . .

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh! Read it long ago and forgot I did so. That tells you something.

[Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in progress...

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick moving plot with engaging characters.Court intrigue...and magic!