Children of Magic

ALAN DEAN FOSTER * JODY LYNN NYE
ALEXANDER B. POTTER* BRENDA COOPER
KARINA SUMNER-SMITH * TANYA HUFF
SARAH A. HOYT * JANA PANICCIA * NANCY HOLDER
RUTH STUART * JEAN RABE * JANE LINDSKOLD
LOUISE MARLEY * MELISSA LEE SHAW * NINA KIRIKI
HOFFMAN * FIONA PATTON * MICHELLE WEST

All children, and many adults, cherish a fantasy of being special, of having a unique talent. And many of those who daydream about talents wish for magical abilities with which to transform their world to their own liking. But how good would it really be to have magical abilities in a world that doesn't believe in magic? How would you learn to master those skills? Would you use them for the general good or your own selfish reasons? Would it be better to be born in a realm where magic is actually accepted? What challenges would the fledgling wizard face in such a world?

Here are seventeen highly imaginative tales, some set in our world, some in more fantastical universes, all centered on children gifted with magic and the challenges, perils, and destinies that await them. From a fledgling wizard with political ambitions...to a boy whose touch can bring an end to suffering...to a girl who finds her way to a magic-filled realm in the heart of a California craft festival...to the "true" tale of how Leonardo da Vinci came by his talents, these are wondrous excursions into both the light and dark sides of magic.

Included is a Tanya Huff story featuring the characters from her Smoke series.