Catherine Fisher really broke into the USA market with [b:Incarceron|332775|Incarceron (Incarceron, #1)|Catherine Fisher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327414514s/332775.jpg|323310] and its sequel, [b:Sapphique|4499214|Sapphique (Incarceron, #2)|Catherine Fisher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327885488s/4499214.jpg|4548192], which seems to have been her biggest hit in Britain, too. The USA publisher appears to have then trawled her back-catalogue for the most similar material and come up with this series. The obvious difference between these books and most of Fisher's output is that they fall more into the SF camp than the fantasy camp. They seem less old-fashioned than several of Fisher's fantasies do - mainly the ones that show the strongest [a:Alan Garner|47991|Alan Garner|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1363273417p2/47991.jpg] influence.

THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN CURTAILED IN PROTEST AT GOODREADS' CENSORSHIP POLICY

See the complete review here:

http://arbieroo.booklikes.com/post/334855/post

I fall into these books, and feel part of the world of Anara, even though it's a harsh world. Fisher excels at description that doesn't bog down in endless details, but provides enough specifics to bring the world alive. I love the mix of familiar and unfamiliar plants and animals (oak, hawthorn, blackberry; herons, bats), mythological (wyverns) and Anaran. The seven moons, oft referred to in both their monthly cycles and in the Order's ceremonies, add an element of mystery. I'd love to be able to send out sense-lines like Galen and Raffi, to know what is around me. As in the first book, the plot is tight and fast, full of unexpected twists and turns. Galen and Raffi are chased by both the Watch and Alberic's thieves. Carys explores the Tower of Song and discovers more about the Watch. Galen and Raffi find a haven at Artelan's Well. A wonderful blend of fantasy and science fiction. ( )

The Relic Master saga continues in The Lost Heiress.

You know, I wasn't really sure I wanted to read this book after I finished the first one in the series, The Dark City. Why? Well, it's a far cry from author Catherine Fisher's excellent Incarceron books. It's much easier and simpler than the others and, while a quick read, not that intriguing. So, why did I take the time to read the sequels? Well, they ended up getting the entire Relic Master series in at my local library, so I thought why not?

The Lost Heiress pretty much continues where Dark City left off -we've got Raffi the apprentice traveling with Galen the Relic Master, followed closely by a member of the Watch. And though she hates Relic Masters, she just might have a thing for Raffi. But this time around, there might be a hidden heiress to one of the nearby kingdoms and it's up to our heroes to find and protect her.

Basically, The Lost Heiress is more of Dark City. There's not really much more to it than that, which is a little disappointing. While I still had fun reading more about Raffi and the others, I felt like there really wasn't much here that was completely new to the series, nor was it all that exciting. Frankly, I'm wondering how this series can even continue for two more books -I feel like I've lost sight of what the overarching premise is and what the characters are trying to accomplish.

Not bad, but not great either. A decent library find. ( )