Juliet Marillier, Blade of Fortriu

Blade of Fortriu

Juliet Marillier

Tor, October 2006, $27.95,

ISBN 1405036826

Feeling more secure than ever, King Bridei of Priteni decides he must rid his land of the Gaelic invaders. To help him succeed, he informs his imprisoned guest, Princess Ana of the Light Isles, that she will marry Caitt Chieftain Alpin of Briar Wood to tighten their alliance. Ana may not like this, but knows she has no choice as she is a political pawn.

As Bridei prepares for war, his most trusted men, especially his top bodyguard and assassin Faolan, escort Ana to her groom. However, all is not what it seems in Briar Wood. There she meets the lords brother Druston, who wants her, as does the secretive Faolan. Both know they cannot have her, as the former is a cold killer who cannot understand why his heart suddenly beats, and the latter has strange abilities that kill anyone who gets close to him. Still, Druston must warn Ana that she must trust no one, not even the Kings man, but especially anyone using the BLADE OF FORTRIU. His action leads to a dangerous quest by the trio, that if they survive, someones heart, if not all, will be broken.

Book one of The Bridei Chronicles the exciting THE DARK MIRROR contained a more somber purer fantasy tale than the BLADE OF FORTRIU does. In spite of the key subplot of the romance between Bridei and Tuala in the first novel, the second thriller is more romantic, with a fascinating relationship triangle between the three major players. Sub-genre fans will agree that this is a delightful stand alone (though it would help to better understand Bridei to have read the previous story) in which the fully developed lead protagonists struggle to endure in a vividly depicted fantasy realm.