Juliet Marillier, The Well of Shades

The Well of Shades

Juliet Marillier

Tor, May 2007, $26.95

ISBN 0765309971

In the sixth-century, bard and king's spy Fortriu Faolan of the U N ill clan has been assigned three complex and difficult tasks. Pict King Bridei orders Faolan to locate a cleric called Colmcille. For himself, Faolan needs to go home to Erin to make peace with his family who he left behind a decade ago after they were all devastated with the death of his oldest brother. Finally, the hardest task of all of all is that he owes his late friend Deord the courtesy of informing the man's family that he died.

Faolan travels to Cloud Hill to deal with the most demanding of his chores, but finds an even more formidable task awaits him when he meets Deord's indigent sixteen-year-old daughter, Eile and her infant. He puts his personal quest and that of his monarch on hold to escort the child and grandchild of his brother in arms back to the safety of King Bridei's court. However, instead of returning to his mission, he and Eile become entangled in a scheme to destroy Bridei's half-fey son, Derelei. Bridei' enemies hope this is the beginning of the end of the ruler's dream to unite the country under his rule.

Book Three of the exciting, historical fantasy Bridei Chronicles (see THE DARK MIRROR and BLADE OF FORTRIU) is a terrific entry as the audience learns more about the pasts of Bridei and Faolan. The storyline is fast-paced and will elate fans of the series yet newcomers will have no problem understanding the plot as it can stand alone. Readers will enjoy Faolan's latest escapdes as he teams up with the teenage daughter of his late friend.

Harriet Klausner