Book Review: _Memory of Fire_ by Holly Lisle

Two young women find their destinies in fictional Cat Creek, North Carolina. Molly McColl is dragged from her bed in the middle of the night into another world. Lauren Dane is frightened by a mirror in her house that shows scenes from another world. This is how the Fantasy novel _Memory of Fire_ by Holly Lisle begins. From these two events starts an entertaining read of action, mystery and sorrow. The author weaves a good story through her characters, plot and magic.

Ms. Lisle’s characters brings this book to life through their problems. The book begins the story of two women with serious problems. Lauren Dane is a widow with a two year old son. devastated by the loss of her husband. She must deal with her gate weaving ability, someone trying to kill her, protecting her son, and a memory loss. Her trials help her to grow strong. Molly McColl begins as a troubled loner intent on escaping her captors. A healer, Molly does not want to use her power because it gives h √er pain. She must discover her strength through love and sacrifice. Their growth occurs through interacting with other characters such as Eric of the Sentinels and Seolar of Oria. All of the characters are vivid and realistic in their depictions by the author.

Another element that gives this book a strong, gripping story is the plot. It starts with a kidnapping and magic going awry. Earth is connected to other worlds through magical gates. Those worlds up world from Earth are destroyed, but those down world allow humans to do magic. The world is protected by groups of people called Sentinels that maintain the balance of energy between worlds. Cat Creek is the town of one group of Sentinels faced with saving the world while discovering a traitor and murderer in their midst. Ms. Lisle writes a tight plot with intrigue, suspense and plenty of action.

Finally, the author’s use of magic creates a suspenseful tale. The magical system Ms. Lisle uses is n ot very unusual. It consists of visualizing and applying a person’s will to cast spells, but magic in this story carries a big price. Every time magic is used in a down world it affects Earth. These affects can be minimal or destroy the world. It is why the Sentinels protect the Earth through careful use of magic. They must stop a spell that created a plague threatening to destroy the  world’s population. Time is running out for them. They need Lauren’s help as a gate weaver, but find her hostile since she believes the Sentinels murdered her parents. Magic is integral to the story, adding a lot of suspense for the reader.

_Memory of Fire_ by Holly lisle is a suspenseful book with plenty of action. The author’s deft storytelling weaving of characters, plot and magic provides an entertaining, gripping story for readers to enjoy. Readers will find it hard to put this book down. This is the first book in the “World Gates” series.