There is a plot being hatched in Quentaris. Someone is murdering senior members of the great houses of Quentaris and so far they have left no evidence of their identity. Torrad is a young peasant and is about to take up his first job in the Miragho household so when Count Steglan is attacked by the would-be assassin suspicion immediately falls on the latest staff member.

Will Torrad be able to prove the true identity of the killer or will he be held responsible for another's actions? Only time will tell.

The Mind Master is another story in The Quentaris Chronicles and follows the experiences of a young boy, Torrad, as he enters service in one of the great households of Quentaris. As you might expect with a Quentaris novel, he immediately finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery and seems to be the only person who discovers the true identity of the killer.

Each time I read a Quentaris book I am amazed that such a large selection of authors (8 so far) manage to write stories in the same world that work so well together. Yes, there are obvious variations in style but none of them so far has felt as though they didn't mesh perfectly with the rest. When you also consider that they keep managing to come up with new interesting stories that take place within a relatively small world with a limited cast of characters. OK, some of them have ventured out into the rift worlds but the majority of the stories take place within the city its self.

I love these books. They are entertaining, easy to read and keep you hooked right to the end. I don't know how far Michael Pryor and Paul Collins intend to take this concept but I hope it continues for some time to come.

Synopsis
There is no doubt that some people can control others by using their minds. Hypnotists are an obvious example. Leaders of cults and political groups are another. It was said that Adolf Hitler could control huge crowds simply with his eyes and his voice. People are able to communicate through their thoughts, and force others to do as they wish. I suspect that animals have such psychic powers as well. I've watched a good sheep dog control a mob of sheep simply by eyeing them. In a sense, such skill is a kind of magic, mind magic, for although we know it exists we don't really know how it works. I wanted to write a story in which such mind magic was a potent force. Quentaris, city of magic and mystery, seemed a perfect setting for such a tale.

Psykhan is the Mind Master. He is an evil character who has gathered around himself a group of followers, slaves to his will, and plans to seize power in Quentaris. But there is another mind master of sorts, a simple youth called Torrad. Initially Torrad has no idea what powers he possesses. But as the story progresses, he becomes more aware. As this happens, though, he is gradually drawn into a web of intrigue and murder which culminates in an almighty battle of wills with Psykhan himself. From the depths of his evil mind, Psykhan hurls every mental monster he can conjure. His foul thoughts take physical shape and threaten to destroy not only Torrad, but the great city of Quentaris itself. Torrad must use every ounce of his mind magic if he is to survive.

The Mind Master is a story of mystery and intrigue, mayhem and murder. But it also a tale in which the might of the mind invades the world of matter. When thoughts take shape, the mind is master.