In the second book of the Lyremouth Chronicles, The Traitor and The Chalice takes the reader on a fantastic journey full of mystery, magic and deep societal issues.

In book two of the Lyremouth Chronicles, The Traitor and the Chalice takes the reader further into the relationships and feelings of the two heroines, Tevi the Warrior and Jemeryl the Sorceress.

The Story:

This time, they must uncover a traitor among the sorcerers, one who is willing to kill to keep their secrets.

Throughout their trials, Tevi must deal with the prejudice of the societies in which they travel. This is a persistent theme in Fletcher's novels: a person who must live in societies who do not understand or fully sanction them as human beings. Due to her nature as "outsider" in so many ways, the reader is given a particularly close understanding of Tevi's journey.

In the meantime, Jemeryl finds that hierarchy within the Protectorate is alive and well, which further serves to hinder her investigation regarding the traitor among them. Fletcher does an excellent job of showing the reader Jemeryl's life style as it differs from Tevi's, even as the women struggle to stay together given their social discrepancies.

As in the first book, The Exile and the Sorcerer, Fletcher builds a world the reader can follow closely, and characters who are both endearing and loathsome. However, the undercurrent of motives, reasons, and decisions that are far more complex than right and wrong fill out the book, and force the reader to really consider the grey areas of "good intentions."

After examining the difficulties of trust and difference, the women come to see how much they love and depend on one another, as one rescues the other in moments of desperation that demand total trust. Death finds many characters in this book, and the reader cannot help but be caught in the delicate web Fletcher weaves in this interesting mix of fantasy and mystery.

The end of this book is uplifting, both for the characters and the reader. Tevi gains confidence in leaps and bounds, but again, there remains the more difficult questions of how to deal with hypocrisy, and just what constitutes forgiveness. There is no utopic society in Fletcher's writings, just genuine humans with human flaws, in a society that tries its best but is ultimately flawed as well. This book is a fun adventure, following two immensely likeable characters in their quest to save humankind. The added tensions of philosophy, class and prejudice make the journey come to life for the reader, not just the characters.

The Author:

Jane Fletcher is the author of both the Lyremouth Chronicles as well as the Celeano Series, more tales of magic and mayhem. She also has a variety of short stories available on her website. Born in London, she now lives in the South of England. She is down to earth, easy going woman with a great sense of humor and good presentation skills at conferences.

For a good read, full of emotion and fun, read the Lyremouth Chronicles. You’ll be smiling at the end, and grabbing for the next book.