Title: Angelfire
Author: Marc Zicree & Maya Bohnhoff
Format: PB
Pages: 399
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Eos, 2003
ISBN-13: 978-0061059582
Series: Magic Time, Book 2
Favorite Quote: He shook his head. "We've all seen it, Doc. The Source twists people physically who have already been twisted by life. And Tina ... There was a hole in Tina that I put there. The Change had plenty to work with."
Synopsis (Amazon): Across America, technology has been eclipsed by magic, as ordinary people become the embodiments of their darkest desires, deepest fears -- and purest selves. Searching for the source of this terrifying phenomenon -- and to save his sister Tina, transformed by it into one of the ethereal creatures known as flares -- former lawyer Cal Griffin and his band of unlikely heroes follow the visions of the charming lunatic Goldie and the fragile song of a cursed bluesman to a secret haven hidden from its malevolent power. The domain of the bluesman and his protector Magritte -- a callgirl turned flare -- is a wondrous sanctuary from the madness. But how long can it survive if the evil beyond it is allowed to flourish? For the world is unraveling little by little. And the salvation of everything left worth saving requires that Cal and his companions journey deep into the very heart and soul of darkness to confront the beast ruling the Ruby City once called Chicago. But first they must conquer the darkness within themselves.
Review: This novel was even more riveting than its predecessor. Chicago and its inhabitants are either minions of Primal or near-slaves. The city may be safe from the source, but a prison is still a prison. The evil Primal turns out to be a false trail and the true evil well-hidden, but in the end the companions overcome the being holding Chicago in its thrall. It becomes more obvious that The Change happens to the weak -- weak at heart, weak willed, or just plain weak at human kindness.
Along the way, we gain the musician Enid and his partner, Magritte. Goldie, the unbalanced ex-street dweller, falls for Magritte. And of course, loses her at the end of this book. I fear that Goldie will not survive these novels with any of his sanity intact. He remains one of my two favorite characters, along with Doc, and I worry for him.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. It is off the beaten track, humorous and terrifying by turns, and just a darn good read.
Rating: 9 / 10
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