This review is based on an "Uncorrected Proofs - Special Advance Reader's Edition - Not For Sale" copy provides as part of the Amazon Vine program.

You know going in that this is a Book One, so the end isn't a surprise, but it's definitely a cliff hanger. And we have to wait until October 2010 for Book Two.

The world is interesting. The magic is unique. Laura Anne Gilman weaves an interesting story full of characters you grow to love, and a world full of intrigue.

Jerzy is a slave who work in Master Vineart Malech's vineyard. Malech is a mage, and it turns out Jerzy is too. That's how it works there, those with the vine magic are drawn to the vineyards they can do the most good. The story brings Jerzy out of the vineyard and back in again, as he learns the magic, and tries to help Malech understand the turmoil in the world.

I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait for the next one. ( )

Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power.

But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft offers a hint of greater magics within -- magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.

This is an interesting coming of age story as a young slave Jerzy goes on a journey to try to figure out what is going wrong with his world. He feels -- and is -- unequipped for the challenge except for courage. He gathers some allies in this one who should be of help in the coming volumes. Gilman creates an interesting system of magic in an interesting fantasy world. We share Jerzy's bewilderment as we travel with him and try to learn the world and solve the problem. ( )

Flesh and Fire (The Vineart War, #1)
"Vinearts did not appear full-blown from the earth, after all. It was an ironic gift from Sin Washer: generations of trial and error had proven that only the deprivations of slavery, the removal of all family ties and comforts, pushed a man to the point where magic would surface. Even now, he could not coddle the boy, or risk ruining him. The skills were inherent and easily proven by the first test, but the refining of them required a combination of elements. . . Like the grapes themselves, a Vineart must be stressed to produce the finest results, grown in poor soils and subjected to the elements in order to shine."
-Flesh and Fire: Book One of the Vineart War by Laura Anne Gilman

Review:
In their early history, magic in the Vin Lands flowed through the prince-mages who alone had the power to craft spellwines. But inevitably corruption and greed led to an abuse of power by the prince-mages and it took the intervention of a demi-god to "break the Vine" and thus destroy the prince-mages' hold on power. The system that evolved 1,400 years later established a clear separation of power between those that craft the spells from wines and wield the power of magic (the "Vinearts") and the nobility and royalty that hold political power.

The split is deeply established. The Vinearts are entrenched in their customs and traditions in the selection, training and development of apprentice Vinearts and in the creation of the spellwines which serve as repositories of magic. It is universally understood that while stress and deprivation produce the magic and the Vineart, too much stress can ruin the man and his skills.

The Vine Lands are hit with mysterious disappearances, magical monsters, and sudden plagues which seem to be the work of a dangerous new force. Only Master Vineart Malech seems aware of this new threat and he has only one weapon to use against it: the young slave Jerzy. Jerzy shows unusual promise and an uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft which Master Malech must develop and strengthen. Malech is forced to cram the training that would span years in months and trust in Jerzy's skill and judgment if they are to save the Vine Lands.

Review:
In Flesh and Fire, Laura Anne Gilman has created a rich, complex fantasy world and a satifying and enjoyable read. I was hooked from the start - with the mysterious attack on Vineart Sionio and the first descriptions of the young slave boy Jerzy.

Jerzy's voice is painfully honest and I quickly found myself emotionally invested in his growth and his success. As Jerzy grows into his role as apprentice to Vineart Malech, the tension in the story heightens. Plot twists and action move Flesh and Fire forward at a good pace. The only disappointment that I have is that I've finished the book and must wait for the next installment to learn how Jerzy and his new friends will rise to the challenge. I loved Flesh and Fire and recommend it highly to those who enjoy fantasy novels. This one is a winner!
Publisher: Pocket (October 13, 2009), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher. ( )

The story tells of a master teaching his apprentice the fine art of Vineart, magic that comes with the use of wine. Then subtle disturbing instances begin to happen across the land far enough apart that most don't even realize what is happening. A battle brewing between good and something so sinister that no one really knows what they are in store for. Such a unique world of magic and wines. I'm not a wine drinker but I will never look at a bottle of wine the same again.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would. I will say it took me a long time to get through the book and I'm not sure if it was the world so unlike anything I have read or it just wasn't holding my interest. I can't really decide. I liked the book but I hated that I kept getting distracted while reading it.

It being book 1 of a trilogy the story didn't wrap itself up in the end, instead I'm guessing book 2 will pick up right where it left off. I think I would have liked to had some resolution at the end. I might give book 2 a chance to see how the story plays itself out.

(I received this book from pocket books for a blog tour) ( )