A Secret Atlas

February 7, 2005
Making maps can be gripping work, as shown in this sweeping novel of grand schemes, imperial machinations and brave heroes who seek new lands, the first in a new fantasy series from bestseller Stackpole (The Grand Crusade
). Grandmaster Qiro Anturasi, the royal cartographer, makes the maps for the principality of Nalenyr. They're the most accurate, up-to-date maps available, and they've helped Imperial Prince Cyron of Nalenyr prosper. Cyron uses Qiro's skills to facilitate his campaign to unite the nine principalities into one empire. To this end, Cyron has made the grandmaster a prisoner in Nalenyr's capital city of Moriande. At the same time, Cyron funds expeditions for the younger generation of cartographers so that they can explore more of the unmapped world and bring back information and exotic goods. Of course, no tale of derring-do would be complete without intrigue, here supplied by fly-in-the-ointment Prince Pyrust of Deseirion, who has his own plans to be emperor of the nine. This satisfying story has it all—wild magic, the excitement of epic fantasy and the adventure of exploration in the age of sail. Agents, Howard Morhaim and Danny Baror.

Starred review from February 15, 2005
As official cartographers to the king of Nalenyr, members of the Anturasi family are responsible not only for drawing the maps that merchants use for their trade routes but also for exploring new lands and bringing back greater knowledge of the world. When brothers Keles and Jorim undertake exceptionally perilous journeys at the behest of their jealous and secretive grandfather, they discover more than anyone could hope for and unlock mysteries hidden away since the Cataclysm nearly caused the destruction of the world. The author of numerous fantasy and sf novels ("Prince" "of Havoc"; "Lost Destiny"), Stackpole takes a fresh approach to fantasy adventure with this series launch, which offers an original premise, intriguing characters, a richly detailed world, and a suitably ambiguous ending. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2005
Stackpole's high fantasy cum seafaring tale proves all the more effective because its setting resembles the great age of European exploration. At that time, maps were often closely guarded secrets and were sometimes thought to have mysterious, even magical properties, as is really the case in Nalenyr, where the family of the royal cartographer enjoys a quasimonopoly in exploration that inevitably makes them rich but also attracts a formidable array of enemies, who come at them with both spells and steel. And now Keles and Jorim discover that their latest voyage threatens to release hitherto unknown magic that will threaten not only their lives and prospects but also the future of their civilization. Stackpole is, as usual, discursive but also deft and detailed in his worldbuilding. Moreover, the set of premises on which both magical and material aspects of that world are based is sufficiently original to keep fanciers of historical fantasy turning the pages industriously.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)