| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: Low Violence level: Medium-High Back Cover: “Peace and order have been restored to the kingdoms of Tsaia and Lyonya, thanks to the crowning of two kings: Mikeli of Tsaia and, in Lyonya, Kieri Phelan, a mercenary captain whose royal blood and half-elven heritage are resented by elves and humans alike. On the surface, all is hope and promise. But underneath, trouble is brewing. Mikeli cannot sit safely on his throne as long as remnants of the evil Verrakaien magelords are at large. Kieri is being hounded to marry and provide the kingdom with an heir—but that is the least of his concerns. A strange rift has developed between him and his grandmother and co-ruler, the immortal elven queen known as the Lady. More problematic is the ex-pirate Alured, who schemes to seize Kieri's throne for himself—and Mikeli's too, while he's at it. Meanwhile, to the north, the aggressive kingdom of Pargun seems poised to invade.” |
In the last book, Dorrin's story probably saw the most progress. She doesn't exactly sit still for this one, but does take a bit more of a back seat to the new king of Lyonya (who is a personal favorite of mine). He's got war brewing, possibly from two different directions, a co-ruler who delights in being incomprehensible, a couple of mildly antagonistic species to reconcile, and everyone asking him when he's going to get married. (A lot of my single friends have complained about this phenomenon themselves. I strongly suggest they read this. It might make them laugh.) Just so you know, there is a love story there, but it might take you by surprise. Personally, I think it's rather sweet. And on a completely different note, you've just gotta love the king of Pargun when he shows up. Definitely not what I expected.
To tell the truth, there are a whole lot of things building in this series that are not what you expect, and a lot of people pretending to be what they're not. A lot of it is political intriguing, with bouts of violence and danger at decent intervals. But what I really love is the sense I get that the main players—even those on opposite sides—are being manipulated into opposing each other. That this isn't really a case of “us versus them” but of “us versus us,” if only they realized it. Luckily, King Kieri does seem to be pretty good at sensing that kind of thing, even if it does take him a while to figure out the how and the who. I trust he'll get there eventually.