The Spirit Lens
In a kingdom on the verge of a grand renaissance, where natural science has supplanted failing sorcery, someone aims to revive a savage rivalry...
For Portier de Savin-Duplais, failed student of magic, sorcery’s decline into ambiguity and cheap illusion is but a culmination of life’s bitter disappointments. Reduced to tending the library at Sabria’s last collegia magica, he fights off despair with scholarship. But when the king of Sabria charges him to investigate an attempted murder that has disturbing magical resonances, Portier believes his dreams of a greater destiny might at last be fulfilled.
As the king’s new agente confide, Portier — much to his dismay — is partnered with the popinjay Ilario de Sylvae, the laughingstock of Sabria’s court. Then the need to infiltrate a magical cabal leads Portier to Dante, a brooding, brilliant young sorcerer whose heretical ideas and penchant for violence threaten to expose the investigation before it’s begun. But in an ever-shifting landscape of murders, betrayals, old secrets, and unholy sorcery, the three agentes will be forced to test the boundaries of magic, nature, and the divine.
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Carol Berg
Carol Berg is the author of several fantasy novels, including the books from the Rai-Kirah series, Song of the Beast, and the books from The Bridge of D'Arnath series.
Carol Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Colorado. Before writing full-time, she designed software. She lives in Colorado, and is the mother of three boys.
She also writes under the pseudonym of Cate Glass.
Novels of the Collegia Magica
Novels of the Collegia Magica consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
Carol Berg has been one of my favourite fantasy authors for a long time. She's always been a good writer, because her books are entertaining and addictive. In my opinion The Spirit Lens is a great example of how well she can write entertaining and addictive fantasy books. The Spirit Lens is an entertaining fantasy book, because the characters are fascinating (I liked the main character very much) and the story is simply fantastic (it was a pleasure to read Berg's lush descriptions). This book combines fantasy and mystery elements in a perfect way - once you start reading this book, you won't stop until you've reached the final page. The Spirit Lens is a perfect book for readers who enjoy reading entertaining fantasy books. This book is so good that it causes sleep deprivation (if you start reading this book in the evening, you'll read it all through the night). ;)