The Shadow Sorceress The Fourth Book of the Spellsong Cycle

The Shadow Sorceress continues the story begun in the first Spellsong Cycle, but shifts the focus to the challenges facing Secca, now a young Sorceress, who is thrust into a position of power when her mentor, Anna, dies unexpectedly before Seccas training is complete. Anna, a singer from Earth, brought new levels of magical power to the world through her knowledge of music and singing, and has been the power behind the throne for years. Despite her reservations concerning the skills and strength of her young ruler, the boy-king Anna protected for years, Secca immediately takes command of all her magical resources to help suppress internal dissension in a neighboring province. Then she must rally potential allies to lift the naval siege laid on Nordwei by the Sea Priests who bring with them a new kind of drumming magic that threatens the balance of power in the world and portends danger and destruction not imagined for decades.

"New alliances and new players keep this series fresh. Mr. Modesitt crafts a tightly-woven tale with ominous overtones that point to a dramatic finale."-Romantic Times

"The saga continues on course toward becoming Modesitt's outstanding work of fantasy"-Booklist