What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Think I read it about 10 years ago. Maybe it was set in a desert type setting? The characters had these cones I guess like incense cones except it was magic cones and they snapped the cones for the magic.

Kathryn, can you describe the magic and what it's used for?

Can you tell us more about the main characters - e.g., their ages, powers, jobs/skills/interests, human/species, etc.?

What's the tone - e.g., adventure, mystery, suspense, romance, etc.?