A grieving world.
The gift of remembrance.
The dawn of a new light.

Six years after a conflict that extinguished all magelight, the realm of Eiden Myr is in chaos. Wilding weather destroys crops. Drought bakes some regions while others are flooded; mountains quake, poisoned rivers rise; disease and pestilence spread.
    In a dying trader town, three little girls fight to protect a secret that could cost them their lives, while a young lad-of-all-crafts finds that local murders are only the first clue in a stunning conspiracy.
    In the far north, the remnants of the realm’s warders struggle to replace magecraft with science. In the far south, a military race is remembering its beginnings and rousing from its stupor. Along the eastern shore, a tight band of guerrilla fighters, posted to repel invasion, prepares to battle for control of the disaster-ridden realm—while one woman, a disgraced soldier, summons the courage to defy them all.
    And on a remote, windswept island, a new breed of scholar strives to plumb the mysteries of ancient texts before they crumble in the absence of the wardings that preserved them—and before the realm crumbles for want of the knowledge they contain.
    Which of them is the binder destined to reshape the shattered world?

"McGarry's sequel to Illumination explores the struggles of people trying to survive in a land that has turned against them. Strong characterizations, an intriguing magic system, and powerful themes of justice, rebellion, and forgiveness make this a priority purchase for most libraries. Highly recommended." —Library Journal

"...a complex, ambitious book...McGarry's prose is evocative and lovely, her characters extremely believable and compelling." —Alyx Dellamonica, Locus

"...a poignant, magical story with fully realized characters, nonstop action, sacrifice and romance." —Kelly Rae Cooper, Romantic Times

"...imaginative and complex...A huge cast of characters and rapidly shifting viewpoints make this a challenging read, but the author's talent for world-building and sure use of language will leave fans, especially those fond of big, intricate fantasies like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, feeling more satisfied." —Publishers Weekly

"The sequel to McGarry's debut novel, Illumination, The Binder's Road serves up the magelight universe with coolly evocative prose and an inventive and complex magic system. Through the simple expedient of giving her mystical continent the shape of a human, the author elegantly makes her novel's geography intuitive and transparent." —SciFi.com

"...there is no denying the power and fertility of her imagination." —Roland Green, Booklist

"Sequel The Binder's Road proves to be even more subversive, with a plot and characters exhibiting a level of sophisticated/devious complexity I might expect from Gene Wolfe (or recent Jeff VanderMeer), not a new author engaged in her first trilogy." —Faren Miller, Locus

John Savage's Award Recommendations, 2003