Casualties of War by Chantal Boudreau
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full disclosure...I edited this and the previous entry (Masters & Renegades: Magic University. However, I would not put my name on something that I did not believe whole-heartedly in. That said, Casualties of War is even better than the first book.

The focus is on a few of the familiar characters from the debut in the Masters & Renegades series and takes place a while after the trials concluded. The Renegades have opened their own academy and the Master Mages are not pleased. Some go as far as to embark on an secret war that includes the magic equivalent of bio-terrorism.

This book allows the reader to become even better acquainted with a few of the originals while very smartly introducing a few new names. It is not done as a laundry list, but rather a masterful introduction that seems to be Ms. Boudreau's forte as a storyteller. As a reader, it is very easy to become attached to these people and they really do come to life on the page.

No spoilers here, but there will be some twists and turns including a moment that made me set down the book and shoot off a rather annoyed email to the author. Bravo! It is so nice to find a writer that makes the reader feel REAL emotions while reading.

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