Masques, by Patricia Briggs

The 2010 reprint of Masques written by Patricia Briggs is a testament to her skill even before she had the polish of an accomplished writer. In her own words, this book “was the first book I ever attempted to write. I’d never read any books on writing, nor talked to anyone who knew the first thing about constructing a novel. All I had was a life spent reading obsessively and the conviction that I knew how to tell a story. Wolf was the first character I drew up, mainly because he had starred, in one form or another, in many of the stories I’d made up through the years.” But, it was after she decided to reissue the book that she realized this story would have more depth if she would add more descriptions.

Aralorn and Wolf meet after Wolf is caught in an old pit of stakes. Wolf is in animal form and is dying when Aralorn finds him trapped with a broken leg. She saves his life by pulling him out of the pit with the help of her horse. Because of this help, he comes back to her often in his wolf form. However, it is a few years later when he talks to her. To Aralorn a talking animal is not a shock to her because she is a half-breed shape-shifter. She is very adept at changing her features. But she is even better at changing her shape into rodents. It makes her a good spy as well as helps her to escape when she needs to.

Of course there is a villain. It is the Ae’Magi, the mage with the most power. Unfortunately, only a few people can withstand this mage’s glamor. He has the world thinking that he is a kind-hearted man, who would do everything for his people. The glamor around him is so strong that most of the women that make it into his orbit are half in love with him. What changes Aralorn’s opinion is when she was in Ae’magi’s castle and caged like a hawk, she watched him kill men, women, and children who had mage talent. After escaping the castle, she found that the insidious influence of the Ae’Magi reached even her mercenary troop.

What makes this story so interesting is the interaction between the Aralorn, a shape-shifter spy, and Wolf, a highly talented mage. Wolf keeps many secrets hidden from Aralorn, probably because he wanted her good opinion. Also, as a reader, I enjoyed the descriptions. I felt that I was in the middle of the story and that I was Aralorn.

If you want to know a bit about Patricia Briggs, there is an obligatory biography. What I know about this writer is that she has some very interesting stories to tell. When I see her name, I immediately buy the book because I know that she will fulfill my dreams and help me escape from the problems I deal with every day. It makes me believe that there might be magic in this world – somewhere.