Tracing the Shadow
Sarah Ash’s acclaimed trilogy, the Tears of Artamon, was a stunning
blend of sorcery and intrigue, politics and breathtaking imagery. Now
this gifted storyteller returns with a tale of a siege between kingdoms, and a battle between heretics and believers — each with their own truths, their own lies, and their own soul-shattering discoveries waiting to be made.
Book One of the Alchymist’s Legacy
The kingdom of Francia has purged its magi. But when a young Guerrier rescues an orphaned street waif, little does he know that she is the daughter of a magus who met his end on their pyres — or that she is guarded by an aethyric spirit — and driven by the name of the traitor who condemned her father to flames. With the gift of song infused within her, the child's voice will bring her before the most powerful heads of state. And she will craft herself into a weapon... aimed at the heart of the man she despises.
From the alchymist's apprentice whose discovery leads him into a dark partnership, to a girl who will become the toast of three nations, a new magic will grant powers and ignite dangers beyond all reckoning.
A timeless tale of adventure, battle, and beauty, this dazzling story spans the realm of the human and the immortal, the schemes of the power hungry, the dreams of lovers and the resurrection of the fallen in one magnificent, epic fantasy.
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Sarah Ash
Sarah Ash read music at New Hall, Cambridge for four years, studying with Robin Holloway and John Rutter for her finals. Her interests in music and drama led her into teaching where she has been lucky to work with many dynamic and talented young people.
Although she had co-written several musicals for young performers, she decided in 1991 to concentrate her creative energies on her other passion: writing. Having been shortlisted in the final ten of the Guardian Children’s Fiction award for a – still unpublished – fantasy The Mabinogion Mice, her breakthrough came in 1992 with the publication in Interzone of the short story ‘Moth Music’.
Alchymist's Legacy
A prequel series to The Tears of Artamon.
Alchymist's Legacy consists of two books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
When I started reading Tracing the Shadow, I was hoping to read a good book, because I liked Ash's previous books very much. I must say that I wasn't disappointed with the quality of this book. To be honest, I liked this book even more than the previous books. Tracing the Shadow was a fascinating and entertaining book with enough depth to keep the reader interested in it. The characters were interesting and the story was good. This kind of epic fantasy interests me very much. I can give this book four stars, because it contains all the elements which are needed to make a good fantasy book. I like Sarah Ash's fantasy books very much and I especially like her writing style. Her books are exciting and well written. Her writing has become more fluent with each new book and this new book demonstrates that she sure knows how to write excellent fantasy. She's without a doubt one of the best fantasy authors at this moment. If you've read The Tears of Artamon trilogy and liked it, this book is a "must have" book. I'm sure that you won't be disappointed with this book. If you've never read Sarah Ash, you should read her earlier books before this book.