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She recovers from the madness, finding out she is a fledgling geomancer, a dangerous art that melts the very rocks beneath her feet. Using a crystal helm to communicate across the Void she meets the perfect man but he is trapped on a dying planet. Anxious for love, Tiaan makes a hazardous journey to meet with him.

The lyrinx, massive winged humanoids, who escaped from the Void one hundred and fifty years ago, are waging a seemingly endless war with humanity for control of the planet. They need Tiaan and her new powers to finally win the war. Cryl-Nish, the cowardly artificer and unsuccessful spy, spurned as a potential lover by Tiaan, also follows her.

He must recapture Tiaan to be reinstated, otherwise he will be sent to certain death on the battlefront. To aid him he has a Seeker, Ullii, a delicate creature who blocks out the physical world and follows the light of Tiaan's power.

Not having read the 'Mirror Quartet', I was pleased to find that this novel works well as the first of the new trilogy. The characters are believable, some super-powers but no super-heroes.

The non-human characters are also more than sketched in and the interaction between Tiaan and her lyrinx companion is telling as they exchange views on their differing morality. The presence of the breeding factory is a reminder that no matter how skilled the women, they are only one step away from 'doing their duty' and of how quickly basic human rights can be eroded in times of war.

The conclusion is dramatic and sets up the subsequent instalment nicely.

Mr Irvine has created a captivating reality. I had no sense of reading a long novel and was eager to keep getting back to it. Definitely one for winter evenings with a nice cup of cocoa.

I'm pleased to find a new author and I'll be reading the 'Mirror Quartet', too.

Sue Davies