The Spellsong War continues the story of Anna, who in The Soprano Sorceress went from middle-aged music professor in Iowa to savior and regent of the kingdom of Defalk, on Erde, where music is magic. Though Anna is considered an intelligent and fair regent, women on Erde are very much second-class citizens, and she is continually frustrated that the men she must negotiate with respect her power as a sorceress but fail to recognize her other gifts. However, she has little time to consider her own position, as she tries to rebuild the war- and famine-shattered Defalk for its eventual ruler, the child Lord Jimbob. The kingdoms that surround Defalk are plotting to overthrow Anna, and she walks a fine line in using magic against them; every spell weakens her, and the wrong spell could even kill her. Anna's maturity and concentration are a refreshing find in the fantasy genre. There's no silly romance here; instead, readers are treated to a thoughtful plot, realistic problems, and a finely drawn heroine.
