This being the first book of the trology does exactly what it needs to do, it drags you in to a world that Canavan has created with care and precission. Everything about this book is done well as soon as i finished it i was straight off to waterstones to buy the second. ( )

The Black Magician trilogy established Trudi Canavan as an author capable of delivering absorbing and intricate fantasy that packs an emotional punch.

Auraya is a girl with magical gifts and precocious wisdom. She is tutored by Leiard, a Dreamweaver. Dreamweavers are healers and mind-linkers, and part of a group of people who are persecuted and despised because they don't worship the gods.Auraya rises through the Circlian priesthood to the position of one of the White, the god's chosen servants, early on in the book. Gifted with great powers that include immortality, there are only five of the White. Auraya is the last to be chosen.

As with Canavan's other novels, there are strong political threads running through Priestess of the White. The gods have instructed the White to seek out alliances with other peoples. So Auraya spends a lot of time in diplomatic negotiations, trying to unite the north. But war is coming. The southern Pentadrians are led by ruthless and powerful sorcerers, and they worship gods of their own. The Pentadrians believe that the Circlians are heathens whose gods are false. The sentiment is mutual. And that eventually leads to a war between the Circlians and their allies and the Pentadrians.

The book seems to be written to a plan. There are clearly some elements that Canavan has to set up now in order to develop them later in the trilogy. Nonetheless, I feel she has sacrificed the flow of the narrative in order to do so - and I hope it will all be worth it in the end.

Having said that, some of the characters are beautifully drawn and the story is chock full of potential for exciting and unexpected developments going forward.

Priestess of the White is a good read, but it is not up there with the Black Magician series. I'm counting on Canavan getting back to her stride in the subsequent books. ( )

First of a new trilogy, Humans living on a fairly small continent of a few countries are blessed by five gods. "Talents" abound and nearly everyone has some degree of magical ability. A priestess is chosen as the God's current favourite, but before she can fully learn her skills war breaks out with strangers from a nearby land - whose gods seem just as strong. Fortunetly allies in the form of flying people are at hand even if their sea cousins are harder work.

Well written though a trifle wordy at times without much depth to any but the most central characters it is nevertheless a good fantasy story in a promising world. The viewpoint jumps around a bit from the various characters which can be annoying, but in general I'm looking forward to the forthcoming sequals.

After re-read. This is not, as from the prologue one might expect, a coming of age fantasy. Auraya starts out as a high priestess of the Five, and quickly comes to terms with her increasesed powers, and learns more about the world and it's cultures around her.

These are enjoyably fairly well-fleshed characters, without an absolute set of good and eveil, just differenet people trying to do their best. Leneid's and Emeralh's stories are obviously leading to some darker undertones than the original premise of the White Five might suggest. Engaging and intruging it's a complex plot lightly told. The action jumps around to several bit parts but this leads to an interesting world with details of minor areas sketching in the a wider picture. Personally I feel it is a trifle long, with too much happening, and maybe a harsher editor would have produced a more gripping tale - but perhaps without some of the wealth of intricate detail that makes this such a fun read. ( )

Auraya is the central character as the new Priestess of the White a group of 5 people chosen by the Gods to be there immortal bodily represenatatives.

At the same time a group of sorcerers emerge who also claim to be the representatives of 5 gods and now start to lead up to a war that will show who is the greater group.

The book follows the White trying to gain support from other groups of the land while Auraya begins to understand the powers she has and learns to use them. At the same time she falls for a DreamWeaver (Lieard) who she knew as prior to being a priestess and falls in love with him. This is not allowed amongst the White and so she learns as well as power and responsbility comes, sometimes, not being able to follow your heart.

The first of the trilogy ends with the White having defeated the Pentadrians in battle and killing one of the 5 sorcerers. And Lieard (who is possessed by an old DreamWeaver leader) being led away by a sorceress.

I cannot wait to read the 2nd and 3rd in the series! ( )

This read like a more grown-up version of the Black Magician trilogy with a lot of incidental similarities. The five representatives of the Gods unite Northern Ithania in war against the evil invading Pentadrians, providing a solid plot to hang themes of religion and oppression upon.

This was good enough to make me want to read the next in the trilogy. ( )