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Jan 30, 2011andreareads rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I had mixed feelings about this one. I really didn't like the idea that the land had to be managed through human magical intervention. I found myself thinking that if a plague carried off all the humans, the streams and woods and even the bees would be just fine. The main character takes on her duties as Chalice untrained, so I understand the mix of frantic research, instinct and raw talent she uses, but there was far too much magic through sheer force of will for my taste. The passivity and fatalism of the two main characters as the story reached its climax also bothered me, although the resolution was interesting. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the unusual aspects of bee/honey magic and fire priest magic, and thought the book was good, just not great.