REVISED JUNE 2011. A young wizard who fears his own power sets out to right an old wrong, and discovers nothing is as he assumed.
Deep River is a village where nothing happens and nothing changes. The river is dry; nobody leaves but the dead.
Crane, Deep River's self-taught wizard, is afraid of his own power. When he learns that his village was cursed when he was born, he decides to find the wizard responsible. He follows the river into an ancient forest more powerful than any wizard, and meets a secretive girl who may have more power than he does.
Just as Crane begins to have confidence in his skills, he discovers that much he assumed to be true . . . isn't. This is especially the case regarding his enemy, who turns out to be something he never imagined. As Crane masters his power and grapples with issues of family, regret, and love, he must rethink his past and re-imagine his future. He must find his own way.
Appropriate for adults and teens - attention span required! If you're intrigued by the opening but lack time to read the whole thing, check out chapter 18 or 26. 18 marks the literal, spiritual, and narrative center of the book; 26 includes the scene that started it all.