"wonderful fantasy"

The City of Mermeia is divided into districts; each one is home to a different race including elves, goblins, dwarves, humans and sorcerers. Mage practitioners are common; Raine Benares, an elf, is a mid-level practitioner who earns her living by seeking lost objects and sometimes people for her clients. Her life changes dramatically when she watches over her friend when he breaks into the house of a powerful necromancer to steal an artifact.

Two sets of goblin warriors, one loyal to the king and a group loyal to the exiled prince want the artifact Raine took. Raine creates a diversion and they escape. Raine puts the artifact around her neck and finds she can't take it off or it will kill her. It has powerful magic that enhances her own power and gives her new ones but the price is too high. The goblin king, his sadistic advisor Sarad Nupana and Prince Chigau want the one who wears the artifact because it will lead them to Saghred a weapon of mass destruction. Raine has to find a way to keep it out of evil's hands, find a way to remove the artifact and give it to somebody without getting killed.

This is wonderful fantasy tale full of different races and myths and legends who are drawn so perfectly, readers will believe they actually exist. Raine is a strong female, a leader who wants to do the right thing even when she isn't sure what that is. She has an elf and a human interested in her and it is fun watching them compete trying to get her interested in them in between near death escapades. Lisa Shearin has the magic touch (keyboard) when it comes to writing good fantasy.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted May 27, 2007

Summary

My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound...

Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, Raine finds herself wrapped up in more trouble than she cares for. She likes attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting her down is not her idea of a good time. The amulet they're after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when Raine takes possession of the item, it takes possession of her.

Now her moderate powers are increasing beyond anything she could imagine—but is the resumé enhancement worth her soul?