[Book review] A blast from the past--The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg

The Spirit Lens: A Novel of the Collegia Magica

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Since this novel just came out in mass market format, I thought it would be nice to repost the review.

Carol Berg's storytelling style draws readers irresistibly into her tales, and this new novel is no exception. Set in a mythical version of the Renaissance, at a time when science and magic are colliding, The Spirit Lens combines fantasy with a murder mystery.

Portier wanted more than anything to be a mage, but his magic is too weak for him to wield. Taking over the school's library instead, he lives a peaceful life until being summoned to an audience with the king, his distant cousin. Portier discovers, much to his dismay, that an attempt has been made on the king's life.

The queen is being blamed for it, and Portier is assigned to find the truth.

His helpers are a foppish courtier and an unruly rogue mage. As events proceed, what should be a simple case of exposing a frame-up turns into something far larger and deadlier. The attempt on the king's life may have been nothing but a flashy distraction, to cover more sinister doings.

As magic and science clash, some plotters are determined that magic won't go down without a fight.

Berg displays her usual skill at plotting: She teases readers with little nuggets of information about characters and events, and then slowly reveals more over the course of the book. She mingles these bits with the main plot, so that eventual revelations blend seamlessly.

Readers subtly learn a lot about characters and their motivations, and in a way that doesn't interrupt the story's flow.

The Spirit Lens uses a device that hasn't been seen much recently: enchanted objects, such as the be-spelled telescope from which the novel takes its title. But the narrative also includes the use of magic via nothing more than the power of the mind and the will. All forms of magic exist in stark contrast to science, which is just as useful here as the arcane.

This is quite a cross-section of talents and methods, and provides multiple ways for the action to take place.

The Spirit Lens contains something for everyone: magic, murder, mayhem and lots of adventure and skullduggery. Berg's books are well worth the cover price, and this one is no exception.

This review appeared in the Davis Enterprise on March 18, 2010.

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