By Patricia Briggs

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Ace Books, 2010, 1993

Recently at work, I was checking in books and this book passed through my hands.  I am mostly familiar with Briggs’s more recent Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series – both of which I love.  I did read Dragon Blood a little while ago and enjoyed it quite a bit.  (I didn’t even realize that it was the 2^nd book of two until I partway through it.  Dragon Bones is the first.)  So I decided to try Masques.  I’m glad I did.  Written early in Briggs’s career, she explains in “The Introduction” how the reprint came about and how she was able to rewrite the book.

I particularly enjoyed the folktales, which the main character Aralorn told, that became a part of the larger story.  I also enjoyed all of the little mysteries which were revealed as the story progressed.  I’m sure that I will check out the sequel, Wolfsbane, the next time it comes through my hands.

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Sianim; 1 

Format: Mass market paperback

ISBN: 9780441019427

Audience: Adult

Number of pages: 294 (306 including a segment from Wolfsbane)

Setting: The Northlands, Reth, & Sianim

Time period: Not set

Plot summary: Aralorn, a shapeshifter, may have gotten in over her head when she agreed to spy on the ae’Magi.  Not only does he seem to have an unnatural number of supporters, but the magical wolf who has been following her around seems to know about many of the his darker tendencies.  As Aralorn tries to relay some of the information she has learned, she quickly discovers that the ae’Magi has a long reach – and he will come after her if he can find her.

Subject headings:

From Pima County Public Library:

Magicians — Fiction.

Shapeshifting — Fiction.

Similar authors:

Jim Butcher

Yasmine Galenorn

Tamora Pierce

Other: Diversity – shape shifters, mages, half-breeds, mercenaries

Patricia Briggs’s website