Flesh and Spirit

Twenty-seven year old Magnus Valentia de Cartamandua-Celestine (better known as Valen) has spent the last twelve years fleeing family and fate. As a Pureblood, the power to shape spells and work magic is an innate trait, and as a Pureblood, his future is preordained to be in service to those capable of paying for such talents. But Valen is hated by his parents and rebels at the thought of a lifetime of servitude, and so he “shed them both at fifteen and had long since drowned myself in a sea of anonymity. I had no intention of bobbing to the surface. Ever.”


So far, Valen seems like your typical rebellious teenager. He’s immature, self-centered, and only interested in his own welfare. Yet his self-deprecating accounts of his life and experiences reveal a humorous and compassionate side to the young man that persuade the reader to feel some sympathy for him and create an interest in what his future holds.


The world around Valen is also experiencing its own rebellions. The good king has died and his sons are warring with one another for control. Add to the military warfare, a religious war. The Moriangi warriors feel that man’s careless ways have sullied the earth and that the gods of the Gehoum can only be appeased by cleansing the land through fire. The Danae, spiritual guardians of the natural world, have also come to despise mankind and no longer act as protectors and nourishers of the earth. The monks of Iero say the one god has proclaimed the end times, and they are making their own preparations.


The world of Flesh and Spirit is filled with magic, which has its limitations and consequences. It has a plethora of gods and deities, some of which are viewed in a mythological light, others of which are actively worshipped and served. It has its own history, which is revealed gradually throughout adding interest and richness to the story.


Flesh and Spirit moves steadily through the four lands that are filled with political and religious strife. It would seem that a coming of an age much like our own Dark Ages is imminent. Experiencing the effects and consequences of these different warring factions through the eyes of one individual, Valen, gives the reader a specific perspective with which to engage in the story on a more personal level.


At the beginning of the book, Valen spends some time with the monks at Gillarine convalescing from wounds incurred during his foray as a mercenary of sorts. This time has made him start questioning his self-absorbed ways. The friendships that he has formed among them make him realize that his actions and even his inaction do affect others.

In addition to world-wide events, there is also the unsolved murder of one young monk and the unsolved disappearance of another that perplex and concern Valen. Berg touches on these two events throughout the book, so, no doubt, they play a role in the larger scheme as well.


There is a lot going on in Flesh and Spirit. Valen is an affable and interesting character, and the political turmoil and religious dissension bring a gritty realism to Berg‘s fantasy world. Unfortunately, just as things seem to be coming to a head, the book ends. Fortunately, it is the first half of a duology known as The Lighthouse Duet. The second part, Breath and Bone is expected in January 2008 and promises “the magical conclusion to Valen's story.”