The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Jason is a young wizard who dares to try and infiltrate Raven's Ghyll to try to assassinate the man who has done him wrong, Claude D'Orsay, the leader of the Red Rose Mages. But when the Mages are too diligent in protecting his target, he must retreat further up the Ghyll by Raven's Head and the Weirstone, the stone that energizes the Magi with incredible powers.

When a chance happening opens a hole into Raven's Head, he enters, to find a forgotten cavern, and a door with carvings representing all of the magical talents: Warriors, Seers, Sorcerors, Enchanters and Wizards. Beyond is a treasure trove of magical loot and gemstones long forgotten, along with two very special items: a sword and a strange blue stone on a dragon. Jason fills his pack with charms and other objects, and takes the sword and the stone in its stand, then flees the Ghyll, but not before defeating D'Orsay's son, Deveraux.

Jason returns to London, where his mentor asks him to return the items to Trinity, that community of magical separatists who don't want to get involved with the Red Rose/White Rose war. And so he goes, reluctantly, wanting another shot at D'Orsay, and also wanting to keep the strange stone for himself.

Back in Trinity, Madison Moss is girl without any real magical powers, except for one. She can absorb magical power while remaining unaffected by it. She works as a waitress for her cousin, and is going to college to work on her art. She's glad to escape her past- the mother who is always taking but never gives, and the town's suspicion of her as a witch and firestarter.

But she has a set of new problems. She loves Seph, a wizard whose full name is Joseph McCauley. But the last blast of magic that Madison captured is still inside her, and still affecting her, making Seph sick any time she touches him. And Seph, who is the most Powerful Wizard in Town, and perhaps in the world is responsible for keeping the town and its many magical inhabitants safe, so she fears to touch or get close to him.

But when Jason shows up with the stone, and all of his other magical goodies, she is drawn to the stone just as much as he is. But when she touches it, it flashes, and now no one else can touch it or use it- not even Jason.

But the theft of the stone has raised notice in the community of the Gifted, and both red and white rose magicians are coming to Trinity to try and steal it back. Even Mercedes, Jack's old girlfriend who had once betrayed him and tried to sell him into magical slavery because he is a warrior, has been drawn to Trinity by the theft of the stone. But when she begins to fall for Jason, will she give up being a slaver for him and love, or does she have another betrayal to make?

As for Madison, she is summoned from Trinity by her mother, who has had Madison's brother and sister to Child Protective Services. But even being back in her hometown won't save her from the ongoing war. And the same rumors that followed her before are following her again. And an old suitor still wants her- and her family's land- and won't take no for an answer.

But forces are drawing her back to Trinity as well, and Madison might have to end the war between the Wizards all by herself. The question is... can she do it?

I had read "The Warrior Heir" before, and when I saw this one on the shelf at my local library, I thought this was the sequel to that book, but actually, I was wrong. This is the third book in the series, as the second was "The Wizard Heir". But despite having missed a book, I don't really feel like I missed much, storywise.

And I did actually like the story, though there is kind of a question of who it is really about right up until almost the end of the book: Madison or Jason. While it was obvious that the stone had something to do with the Dragon Heir, who it was, and what it entailed, was a mystery right up until the very end.

I don't know if this book will be the end of the series or trilogy. It seems that we haven't yet really seen a book devoted to the other magical talents or castes. Not the seers or enchanters or sorcerors, anyway, and I sure hope they'll be more in this series, even though the ending here will definitely be an end to the Wars of the Roses- Red and White.

I found this book an interesting and compelling read. Madison and Jason, along with the other characters, may occasionally have been uncomfortable to read about, but their stories were fascinating. And I would gladly read more. Recommended.