ICEFALCON'S QUEST

Another entry in the series (Mother of Winter, 1996, etc.) about a world where both magic and science (e.g., clones, transporters) work, and where two Earth people, the mage Rudy and the warrior Gil, have taken up residence. The Keep of Dare, imbued with the magic of a powerful mage, hosts two travelers who claim to be searching for old machines that can help in the battle against the Dark Ones. One of them turns out to be the evil sorcerer Bektis; the pair then snatch young Prince Tir and flee. After a magical struggle in which Rudy is severely injured, the Icefalcon— a barbarian warrior of the Talking Stars People, now somewhat civilized—pursues the twosome and their puppet-master, the hook- handed, unspeakable Vair na-Chandros. The Icefalcon will need high- powered magical help, in the person of his sister, Cold Death; still, he'll eventually become disembodied, beset by demons, and trapped inside the dread Keep of Shadow. Once again, some intriguing ideas embedded in a standard fantasy backdrop and plot, peopled by chortling, banal villains: should please series fans.