Owlsight

THE HEALING POWER OF MAGIC It has been four years since the orphan boy Darian sought sanctuary with the mysterious Tayledras Hawkbrothers when his village of Errold's Grove was sacked and burned by barbarians. Born a Valdemaran, but now steeped in the mystical ways of the Tayledras, it has become Darian's dream to be their emissary -- forging an alliance and providing a diplomatic link with his own people. Back in Errold's Grove, a young woman, Keisha Alder, has taken over the job formerly held by Darian's old teacher, Wizard Justyn. With no formal education, working with only the natural instincts of her inborn Healing Gift, she has devoted herself to the care of the people of her now bustling community. Yet with the heightened empathy of her Gift, and the inability to shield herself because of her lack of training, it is becoming harder and harder for Keisha to bear the strains of everyday life. But when Darian returns to Errold's Grove with a small contingent of Hawkbrothers to warn the townsfolk that another tribe of barbarians is approaching their village and advises them to evacuate their homes, Keisha refuses to flee. As a Healer she knows she will be needed if there is blooshed, and her Gift dictates that she stay, even if it puts her life in jeopardy. Yet how can one small band of Hawkbrothers and two Valdemaran teenagers with partially trained Gifts stand against the destructive might of a barbarian horde? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist The popular husband-and-wife team here launch yet another trilogy laid in their best-known creation, the world of Valdemar, with a book that is considerably more accessible for readers new to Valdemar than many another in the several overlapping triptychs. The action begins during the recovery of Valdemar from the traumatic events of the Mage Storms trilogy completed by Storm Breaking (1996). The story is basically about the coming-of-age of Keisha, an untrained healer in a remote village who is trying to care for her people without going mad, and Darian, a young mage turned Hawkbrother who has figured in other Valdemar yarns. Together, Keisha and Darian take active part in the rebuilding of Valdemar. Lackey and Dixon may not develop their protagonists as remarkably as does Lois Bujold, whose characters grow astonishingly from book to book, or Andre Norton, who has been ringing changes on classic motifs for a half century. Nevertheless, although Lackey and Dixon tend to repeat themselves, they always offer a well-told tale. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Mercedes Lackey is the author or coauthor of close to 100 books, including the Halfblood Chronicles, the Dragon Jousters series, and the bestselling novels of Valdemar.Larry Dixon is a fantasy artist and novelist. Larry, the son of a Delta Force career commando, studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts and at Savannah College of Art & Design. In 1992, he married fantasy author Mercedes Lackey; they live in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.Kevin T. Collins is a New York actor and director who can be seen Off-Broadway, on television, and in films. An Audie Award-winning audiobook narrator, he has narrated over 225 titles. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Read more