![]() ![]() A part of a trilogy that brings other, minor characters into the fore and fleshes them out. Now that he is king, he puts an end to that ritual? The reader is expected to accept it as a necessary evil in the first book and to see it as something that can be put aside in the second? These two are a strange step towards the black and white of good and evil in a series that refuses to look at war in such simplistic terms.My most important question: will The Well of Shades be here in paperback about a year after its release in hardback (meaning around May 2008), or six months later when it will have been a year since this book's paperback release? Read more A large part of Bridei's fitness to be king was demonstrated by his willingness to help with the sacrifice and bear the horror of it. Anything that could be construed as truly evil has to be done by an evil person.Secondly, there is the discontinuation of the human sacrifice we saw in The Dark Mirror. It appears that in Marillier's world, a good person can be put in situations where they are forced to do bad things, or where there are no good choices, but a good person can never do something bad without purpose, even if it is accidental. However, although the "whats" may be easy to guess, it is worth reading to learn the "hows." There are some surprising small twists as well.There are some unsatisfying aspects of this book, for example the truth about the chieftan's brother's past. The story is equally satisfying as historic fantasy, with an ample share of the plot taking place at court or in the field with Bridei, although on these fronts the main plotlines are more predictable. Even more rarely, out of the three men who Ana is caught between, two of them are good men whom the reader would believe deserve her. As always, it is almost as much a Romance as a Fantasy, but as is rarely the case in such a story, the author appears to set up a different romance before the true one. To seal an alliance, he sends the royal hostage Ana to marry a chieftan in the north, with his bodyguard and spy Faolan leading her escort.This is possibly Marillier's best work to date, and is certainly her most surprising. ![]() Five years after the end of The Dark Mirror, King Bridei is on the verge of driving the Gaels out of his territory. This review contains spoilers.At long last, after the cancelation of the trade paperback release for unknown reasons (the representative of Tor whom I spoke with at the American Library Association convention certainly seemed surprised), this book is out in an American paperback edition in mass market format. She fears Faolan, but he may prove to be the truest thing in her world.Īt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. ![]() The more Ana tries to uncover the truth of her new life, the more she discovers a maze of polite diversions that mask deadly lies. Then, when she arrives at the chieftain Alpin's stronghold in the mysterious Briar Woods, her discomfort and unease increase tenfold, for this is a place of full of secrets and her betrothed is an enigma himself. Bridei implores Ana to trust see the good in Faolan…but Ana cannot see beyond his cold competence and killer's eyes. And so she will travel north, to make a strategic marriage with a chieftain she has never seen, in the hopes of gaining an ally on whom Bridei's victory relies.įor secrecy's sake, Ana must travel at a soldier's pace, with a small band led by the enigmatic spymaster Faolan. Despite being a pawn of fortune, she has bewitched all at court and is dearly loved by Bridei and his queen. A princess of the Light Isles, she has dwelt as a hostage at the court of Fortriu for most of her young life. And so, with his land secure and his house in order, he prepares for war.Īnd one of Bridei's plans to win the war to come involves the beautiful young Ana. Bridei is determined to drive the Gaelic invaders from his lands once and for all. Five years, in which the people have felt a contentment unknown for generations.īut the security of a people can vanish in a heartbeat, for wolves are often drawn to fields filled with fattened sheep. Blade of Fortriu is the second book in Juliet Marillier's Bridei Chronicles.įive Winters have passed since young king Bridei ascended the throne of Fortriu. ![]()
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