Shattered World

A fantasy with an original and intriguing premise: a world of magic, demons, and monsters that was shattered 1000 years ago by an evil spell - into habitable fragments orbiting each other and the sun. But now the fragments' orbits are decaying, and the plot - which never carries much conviction or purpose - involves the efforts of the unappealing, indecisive characters to put the planet back together again. Master magician Pandrogas, who guards the powerful runestone of Darkhaven, is trying to rediscover lost spells. Meanwhile, his ex-pupil Ardatha (she has a demon-claw instead of a left hand) sends Beorn - a shapeshifting thief - to steal the runestone so that she and her associates can raise the dead Necromancer (who broke the world in the first place). And though Reaves has several good ideas here, his storytelling is inept and unattractive - with gothic prose (clogged, repetitive, pretentious) that's reminiscent of Stephen R. Donaldson at his worst. (Kirkus Reviews)