SHOEL
PATRICIA ROBIN
ISBN: 1424153859
September 2006
Publish America, LLP
111 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701
Paperback
$19.95
136 pages
Fantasy
Rating: 4 cups

Selkis Stapleton is a privileged woman even though something seems to be missing and she is bored with her life. She does not have many friends. She longs to get away from her parents, but has no way to make it happen, until one night at a party, she meets a young man who is willing to teach her magic. It is her dream come true or so she thinks.

Tefen is a nice guy who loves learning about magic. He worships Shoel, goddess of the mages and is willing to do anything to get his face back. He was very sick when the plague hit his town many years ago. Tefen wants to share his gift with Selkis and even has her meet his friend Penn. He is so happy to have finally met someone with whom he can share his knowledge.

Penn is a cautious man who can be down right stubborn when he is teaching. He wants to make sure things are done correctly. Penn also wants to make sure things are done well before moving on to the next step. He loves teaching and finds two willing students in Tefen and Selkis. He has visions that he shares with them and one that keeps haunting him. Penn wishes he knew what it meant.

Selkis, Tefen, and Penn embark on a journey in mage with each other. They find it all intriguing and enticing. They know it has been banned since the time of the Hidden Era when a plague fell upon Grenor City in the country of Zephia. Yet, they keep pursuing new ways of doing things without being found out. Pen and Tefen have homes in the Grenorrian Forest. The trio meets in the forest so that their secret will not be discovered. They soon had to keep things even more secret and so created the Green Dragon Guild. They had no idea the evil that was lurking or how it could ruin their entire lives.

This wonderful world captured me from the beginning and I was swept up in it all. Ms. Robin has quite an imagination and that helps the story seem so real. Tefen is a complex character. I could never see what was coming or who would get hurt the most in this book. Selkis is a wonderful woman and Penn is such a good teacher. I was thoroughly impressed with this book. It is one fantastical ride; full of magic, secrets, and strengths that will keep you turning pages to find how this story ends.

Krista
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books