From Publishers Weekly
In this adept fourth volume of the Deverry tales, Kerr's world grows denser and more complex as the forces of darkness and light do battle. Rhodry, who will one day rule Aberwyn, has been abducted and taken as a slave to the land of Bardek, home to the evil Dark Council. The Council is using him to lure into destruction the sorcerer Nevyn, chief of the forces of light. The elf Salamander, Rhodry's half-brother, and the mercenary Jill, Rhodry's lover, go in search of the missing lord. While the rescuers wander through Bardek as itinerant magicians, Jill learns how to handle her "dweomer,"sp. OK the power with which she is gifted. When Nevyn arrives, almost falling into the trap, he and his companions succeed in destroying the head of the Dark Council. Meanwhile in Deverry, Lovyan, Rhodry's mother, must fend off contenders for her son's position, while protecting Rhodda, Rhodry's illegitimate daughter, from assassination attempts. Perhaps anticipating another installment, Kerr purposely leaves some loose ends untied, and in a surprisingly unromantic twist, the hero and heroine must find their separate destinies. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"No one does real, live, gritty Celtic fantasy better than Katharine Kerr."
--Judith Tarr


Review
"No one does real, live, gritty Celtic fantasy better than Katharine Kerr."
--Judith Tarr


Book Description
For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn. Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardex, where Rhodry is held captive. Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea. Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured away to Bardek--and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him.Katharine Kerr's novels of the Kingdom of Deverry unfold in a world of stunning richness and depth. Her vivid portrayal of characters caught in a complex web of fate and magic captures the imagination with a realism that few can match. Now she retums to this enchanted kingdom, where the wheels of destiny are tuming anew.


From the Publisher
"No one does real, live, gritty Celtic fantasy better than Katharine Kerr."
--Judith Tarr


From the Inside Flap
For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn.  Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardex, where Rhodry is held captive.  Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea.  Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured away to Bardek--and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him.

Katharine Kerr's novels of the Kingdom of Deverry unfold in a world of stunning richness and depth.  Her vivid portrayal of characters caught in a complex web of fate and magic captures the imagination with a realism that few can match.  Now she retums to this enchanted kingdom, where the wheels of destiny are tuming anew.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn. Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardex, where Rhodry is held captive. Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea. Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured away to Bardek—and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him.

Katharine Kerr's novels of the Kingdom of Deverry unfold in a world of stunning richness and depth. Her vivid portrayal of characters caught in a complex web of fate and magic captures the imagination with a realism that few can match. Now she retums to this enchanted kingdom, where the wheels of destiny are tuming anew.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly