The great Wall of Antaris reared over them. Calwyn’s breath caught in her throat…Something was different. It wasn’t just that she viewed the wall from outside now. What was missing was her awareness of the magic that had built and sustained the mighty rampart of ice, the living power that hummed through it and crackled around it.
When Calwyn loses all her powers of chantment, she heads home to Antaris seeking solace and understanding from the community. Instead, she finds many of the sisters dead or dying from a mysterious sickness, and in the grips of tyranny from the order’s new leader.
Instead of being welcomed, Calwyn is forced to hide, until events in the community lead her to reveal herself. With all of Tremaris suffering an endless winter, Calwyn and her friends know they have to leave Antaris and search for some answers. But will those answers come in time to save Darrow, who has been infected by the sickness? Calwyn is sure she couldn’t live without him, even though the loss of her powers has put a great strain on their relationship.
This is the third and, sadly, the final installment in the Chanters of Tremaris series. Those who have read the first two volumes will be satisfied with this one, which rounds out the quest of the young friends.
Calwyn is a well-developed character, who has grown through the three books from a young girl into an adult who is constantly learning and maturing. Her friendships are deep, yet complex and, all too often for Calywn’s liking, complicated. There are some unexpected twists in these relationships, which prevent the book from becoming predictable.
Aimed at a teen audience, this series has been deservedly loved by many young readers. The conclusion will not disappoint.
The Tenth Power, by Kate Constable
Allen & Unwin, 2005