In an alternate 1906, the United States and Japan have forged a powerful confederation— the Unified Pacific—in an attempt to dominate the world. Their first target is a vulnerable China. In San Francisco, headstrong secretary Ingrid Carmichael is assisting a group of powerful geomancer wardens who have no idea of the depth of her own talent—or that she is the only woman to possess such skills.
When assassins kill the wardens, Ingrid and her mentor are protected by her incredible magic. But the pair is far from safe. Without its full force of guardian geomancers, the city is on the brink of a cataclysmic earthquake that will expose the earth’s power to masterminds determined to control the energy for their own dark ends. The danger escalates when Chinese refugees, preparing to fight the encroaching American and Japanese forces, fracture the uneasy alliance between the Pacific allies, transforming San Francisco into a veritable powder keg. And the slightest tremor will set it off. . . .
Forced on the run, Ingrid makes some shocking discoveries about herself. Her already considerable magic has grown even more fearsome . . . and she may be the fulcrum on which the balance of world power rests.
Here I am again with yet another Beth Cato book review. This time I delve into the first book of the Blood of Earth trilogy, Breath of Earth. Again Cato gives us airships and magic this time in an alternate history San Francisco 1906. Attitudes and treatment of Chinese people at the time factor into the story and are used well. The main character Ingrid is a more than capable heroine without being all powerful and without weakness. The story is engaging and enjoyable. It concludes satisfactorily while leaving just enough hook to draw the reader on the next book in the series. A wonderful thrill ride well worth reading. Highly recommended.
