The Merchant Emperor (The Symphony of Ages)
The seventh book of the Symphony of Ages series begins with a 10-year-old girl, Melisande, being escorted to the edge of a magical woodland. She is given a tremendous task, by which the reader is introduced to the major characters and the political turmoil that is occurring throughout the land. Talquist the merchant has allied himself with a demon in an ambitious ploy to become emperor of F’dor. For those familiar with the history of Rhapsody and Ashe, two of the main characters from previous books, this volume will provide additional depth to their personalities as they are forced to make difficult decisions to save not only themselves and those they love but also perhaps the world they live in. This is not recommended as an entry point to this series because there are too many assumptions made about the readers’ knowledge of the characters. But followers of the series will be delighted with it. --Rebecca Gerber