Synopses & Reviews
SHE DIDNT BREAK THE RULES.
THEY BROKE HER.
Beneath its peaceful exterior, Dabion is a land of violence and intrigue, its politics run by judges, schemers, and spies. Elzith Kar is one such spy, gifted with an uncanny skill derived from rigorous training—and an unusual magic inherited from parents she never knew. Dabion may have use for her talent, but its rulers fear the magic that tempts it, so Elzith has hidden her history and true power, becoming a master player in a game she despises.
But now, as she heals in the aftermath of a dangerous mission, Elzith finds herself temporarily forced into life as a civilian. It is here she finds Tod Redtanner, a humble man with secrets of his own, and feels compelled to tell him her story. But as Elziths history unfolds and the present begins to unravel, it soon becomes clear that the past haunts more than just her dreams. And that if Elzith is to survive, she has no choice but to return to the world of intrigue and corruption that was once her domain. And this time she must play to win.
Synopsis
A young woman born with magical gifts that mark her as an outsider struggles to survive in a society that fears her strange powers.
About the Author
Michelle M. Welch is a fan of literature, music, libraries, Irish fiddling, history, Renaissance costumes, and dessert. She lives in Arizona with her cat and a room full of musical instruments.
Author Q&A
Michelle M. Welch on
Confidence GameConfidence Game is the result of a project that began seventeen years ago when a high school friend gave me a notebook full of background writing for a book she never completed, and told me, "Finish my book." After two attempts to rewrite it in high school and one in college, I had a world that borrowed from her original countries; an intricate network of history, religion, government, and social structures; six hundred years of backplot; and no story. The project languished at the bottom of my closet.
Some time later, while watching too much television, I had an idea. A brief obsession with spy movies left me with a question that was rarely answered: how did the spies get to be who they were? I created a character and turned her loose in my head to figure it out. Contributing to this project were two TV news programs: one on con artists and one on Romanian orphans with reactive attachment disorder. This material was proof that sometimes inspiration consists of melding together wildly unrelated things—and Elzith Kar was born. I recovered my world from the bottom of the closet and sent her to live in it. Now I had a voice in which I could express the ideas I was interested in: what makes Elzith a good spy, and what is the cost to her. Now I had a story. It’s not the same book that my high school friend told me to finish, but I hope it's a good one nonetheless.