The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
FORMAT/INFO: The Whitefire Crossing is 353 pages long divided over 24 numbered chapters. Narration alternates between Dev’s first-person POV and Kiran’s third-person POV. The Whitefire Crossing ends at a satisfying stopping point, but is clearly the first book in a series as numerous threads are left unresolved. The Tainted City, volume two of The Shattered Sigil, is scheduled for publication in 2012. August 2011 marks the trade paperback publication of The Whitefire Crossing via Night Shade Books. Cover art is provided by David Palumbo.
ANALYSIS: The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer is the tenth f... Read More
Courtney Schafer
Courtney Schafer has a masters degree in electrical engineering from Colorado University, Boulder and works at an aerospace company. She married an Australian scientist who shares her love for speculative fiction and wilderness adventures and they have a son. She enjoys skiing, mountain climbing, and figure skating. A voracious reader, Courtney always wished new fantasy novels were published faster — until she realized she could write her own stories to satisfy her craving for new worlds full of magic and wonder. Now she writes every spare moment she’s not working or adventuring with her family. Learn more at Courtney Schafer’s website. The Shattered Sigil — (2011-2012) Publisher: Dev is a smuggler with the perfect cover. He’s in high demand as a guide for the caravans that carry legitimate goods from the city of Ninavel into the country of Alathia. The route through the Whitefire Mountains is treacherous, and Dev is one of the few climbers who knows how to cross them safely. With his skill and connections, it’s easy enough to slip contraband charms from Ninavel — where any magic is fair game, no matter how dark — into Alathia, where most magic is outlawed. But smuggling a few charms is one thing; smuggling a person through the warded Alathian border is near suicidal. Having made a promise to a dying friend, Dev is forced to take on a singularly dangerous cargo: Kiran. A young apprentice on the run from one of the most powerful mages in Ninavel, Kiran is desperate enough to pay a fortune to sneak into a country where discovery means certain execution — and he’ll do whatever it takes to prevent Dev from finding out the terrible truth behind his getaway. Yet Kiran isn’t the only one harboring a deadly secret. Caught up in a web of subterfuge and dark magic, Dev and Kiran must find a way to trust each other — or face not only their own destruction, but that of the entire city of Ninavel.
The Whitefire Crossing: The complete package
The Whitefire Crossing: There’s real promise here
The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
Dev works as an outrider for caravans crossing the Whitefire mountains, going from the city of Ninavel to the kingdom of Alathia. To pad his income, Dev also does some smuggling on the side. After all, there’s a prohibition on magic in Alathia, so Dev can make a handsome amount of money transporting various magical items from magic-friendly Ninavel across the border. As The Whitefire Crossing starts, Dev is asked by his contact to take along an unusual package: a young man called Kiran. The surprisingly high reward is what finally convinces Dev to take on this risk, because he is hoping to raise enough money to free a young girl before she is sold into slavery...
Dev is an interesting main character, especially because of his history as a “Tainted” youngster. Some prepubescent children have minor magical skills, making them ideal assistants in various crimi... Read More



MythAdventures: Light fantasy for teenage boys
The House of Storms: Not as strong as first book
Promise of the Wolves: Completely charming