Staff Pick
Any lover of fiction or mythology knows that stories possess power, whether that power is used simply to enchant readers or listeners, suspend disbelief, change minds, or even, say, topple a nation. This particular story is very much about the power that stories are capable of, and in the hands of the wrongfully imprisoned storyteller Chant, that power proves to be most devastating. Our often sly and "trickster-like" protagonist manages to catch the interest of the entire nation in which he is held captive with his tales and cunning half-truths, and is caught in a dangerous web of political upheaval before he knows it. This book manages all at once to be delightfully humorous, touchingly heartfelt, and magical with a surprisingly refreshing garnish of realism for a fantasy tale.
Not your typical fantasy, and well worth the read. Recommended By Jordan D., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A wrongfully imprisoned storyteller spins stories from his jail cell that just might have the power to save him--and take down his jailers too. Arrested on accusations of witchcraft and treason, Chant finds himself trapped in a cold, filthy jail cell in a foreign land. With only his advocate, the unhelpful and uninterested Consanza, he quickly finds himself cast as a bargaining chip in a brewing battle between the five rulers of this small, backwards, and petty nation.
Or, at least, that's how he would tell the story.
In truth, Chant has little idea of what is happening outside the walls of his cell, but he must quickly start to unravel the puzzle of his imprisonment before they execute him for his alleged crimes. But Chant is no witch--he is a member of a rare and obscure order of wandering storytellers. With no country to call his home, and no people to claim as his own, all Chant has is his wits and his apprentice, a lad more interested in wooing handsome shepherds than learning the ways of the world.
And yet, he has one great power: his stories in the ears of the rulers determined to prosecute him for betraying a nation he knows next to nothing about. The tales he tells will topple the Queens of Nuryevet and just maybe, save his life.