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Phoenix and Ashes
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Plot Summary of Phoenix and Ashes
"

Daw, Oct 2004, 24.95, 405 pp.
ISBN: 0756401615

While World War I rages in Europe, in Broom, England widower Charles Robinson is a successful merchant raising his daughter Eleanor. One day he returns from a business trip with a surprise for Eleanor; he introduces her new “mother”, his new wife Alison and her two daughters. Almost immediate after the nuptials, he signs on for trench warfare and dies in combat.

Alison, a dark Earth Master, makes Eleanor stay in the house with an obedience spell. Meanwhile former pilot and Air Master Reggie Fenyx returns home believing he lost his magical prowess when he was tormented by earth elementals. Eleanor, who loved Reggie, begins serendipitously to learn to use her skill as a Fire Master to fight back and to make out with Reggie, her love buddy.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Phoenix and Ashes
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - a powerful magician
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - lovers spending a lot of time bickering
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
magical powers: - clash between evenly matched magical power(s) (fantasy)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Family relations Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mage/magician
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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