Letters to Penthouse XI

September 1, 2005
In Hambly's mystical sequel to The Sisters of the Raven, the Crafty Women of Yellow City continue to hone their new-found healing and magical powers while the men of this patriarchal society adjust to the loss of their own wizardly abilities. Set against a desert landscape that evokes Egyptian myth, Hambly's tale unwinds like a skein of multi-colored silk, illustrating her talent for well-drawn characters and fantasy rooted in many cultures. Young Raeshaldis, a powerful Sun Mage-in-training, has received a psychic dream plea for help from a Crafty woman on a faraway island. Raeshaldis rushes to help, but another crisis in Yellow City complicates matters-a deadly green mist referred to as the Eater of Dreams has been released from grave amulets stolen by tomb robbers. The mist kills many, infects Summerchild (Shaldis's fellow Raven Sister and King Oryn's beloved concubine), and enthralls Raeshaldis' tyrannical grandfather. Hambly nimbly brings the Yellow City and the faraway healing crises together, and she works in a surprise about the teyns, animal "slaves" to the humans, suggesting a sequel.