Cirrus@Austlit

'In the aftermath of civil war, Queen Laela must do whatever it takes to maintain control of her kingdom. With Arenadd gone and her own griffin partner Oeka lost to magic, Laela joins forces with the dark griffin Skandar to secure her hold on the throne and attempt peace between the North and South. But Saeddryn's son Caedmon is still determined to claim the throne himself - and this time he has help from the most unlikely of quarters.

'Meanwhile, as Kullervo rallies the South in support of his sister's peace treaty, he embarks on his own journey of self-discovery and must decide what he truly believes in ... and what he's willing to fight for.

'With the Night God plotting Laela's destruction, old enemies rise again. The battle for the North is reaching its final stages - but who will win? And at what cost?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Laela the half-breed raised in the South is now the Queen of the North. The seemingly invincible King Arenadd Taranisaii and his partner, the dark griffin Skandar, are missing. The Northerners blame Laela for Arenadd′s disappearance, but she knows the truth...

'With only her griffin partner Oeka to help her rule, Laela struggles to maintain power and tensions mount with Arenadd′s cousin, Saeddryn, who believes she is the rightful ruler.

'Laela is forced into a desperate fight to stay queen as the entire North is plunged into a brutal civil war. To win, she will need the help of her new friend, the odd shapeshifter Kullervo, and a surprising griffin ally from the past.

'But the true test of Laela′s strength will come when the deadly Shadow that Walks returns...' (Publisher's blurb)

'Relieved that Lorkin is coming home, Sonea prepares to meet with the Traitors on behalf of the Guild. Then bad news arrives: the Sachakan king has imprisoned her son.

'As the Sachakan king tries to force Lorkin into betraying the Traitors, Dannyl questions his friendship with Ashaki Achati. Can he trust the Sachakan? Not at all, if Tayend is right. But do Tayend's suspicions spring from good political instincts, or jealousy?

'Easily evading capture by the Guild, the Rogue knows only one obstacle lies between him and his ambition to rule the underworld: Cery. Forced into hiding, protected by Lilia, Cery must wait for the Guild to find his enemy. But is Black Magician Kallen purposefully failing in his task?

'And Lorkin must decide where his loyalties lie, for whatever choice he makes will require a great sacrifice.' (Publisher's blurb)

"There may be trouble ahead...

Wedding bells are ringing for the constantly battling nations of Splotze and Borovnik and the upcoming royal nuptials could at last put an end to their dangerous hostilities. But in a development that hardly bodes well, one of Gerald's fellow janitors goes missing - after delivering a dire warning of danger surrounding the marriage treaty. So Gerald must embark on a dangerous mission to uncover the troublemakers, before wedded bliss becomes international war.

But going undercover isn't as easy as it looks, even with Melissande and Emmerabiblia for camouflage. Soon Gerald finds himself fighting for his life as well as world peace."

Source: publisher's website.

'Arren Cardockson is dead... but something won't let him rest.

Hated and hunted, Arren's only ally is Skandar, the monstrous man-eating dark griffin. Together they must reach the cold North, where they may be able to hide from Erian, vengeful son of the murdered Lord Rannagon.

Then Arren meets the ferocious and mysterious Skade, and he begins to believe that she might know the way to lift his curse and make his dead heart beat again.

And all the while, the dark Night God is watching...' (Publisher's blurb)

'No one is safe when even the past can′t be trusted Elcho falling is under siege from the forces of infinity.

'Axis must deal with treachery while Maximilian confronts the One in the depths of the citadel. Maximilian seems to have the upper hand, but finds his oldest ally′s advice disguises a vicious motive.

'Meanwhile, everyone has forgotten the Skraelings, who conceal a strange, ancient secret. Now these wraiths face a choice that appears to be no choice at all: the way of Infinity, or allying themselves with the StarMan, whom they have loathed for generations.

'In a heart-stopping conclusion to this superb trilogy, Maximilian and his friends battle for survival from the malevolent depths of DarkGlass Mountain to the pinnacle of a crumbling Elcho Falling and beyond ... as the past reaches out to seize Axis and drag him into yet another confrontation with his hated brother, Borneheld.' (From the publisher's website.)

'In the land of Cymria, humans and griffins rule side by side ...

Arren Cardockson is a despised Northener, a people conquered and enslaved centuries ago. By freak chance, he became a griffiner - chosen by a griffin as their companion - but many resent and fear his existence.

Meanwhile, chained in a cage behind the fighting Arena where rogue griffins entertain the crowds, the mysterious black griffin dreams of escape. Arren's meeting with this renegade griffin sets his life on an inexorable path of murder, conflict ... and an encounter with his past.

'Darkness cannot be caged.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Gerald is deep in training for his first official assignment—a case of espionage with international consequences. Melissande, meanwhile, has gone into business ... she′s opened a new witching locum agency. A one-stop shop where magical problems are solved—for a reasonable price. Managing her own business should be a breeze after negotiating the rough tides of New Ottosland politics.The future is looking good. Good, that is, until Witches Incorporated is offered a job that puts Melissande on a collision course with Gerald. Before long, any kind of future is looking increasingly unlikely.'

Source: publisher's website (http://www.harpercollins.com.au/). Sighted 7/2/11.

'His last assignment blew up in his face! Is New Ottosland ready for their new Grade Three Wizard?

'For the life of him, Gerald Dunwoody can't seem to keep a job or a roof over his head. When career disaster strikes again it looks like his days of being a wizard are over for good ... until his friend Monk, genius of the government's secret research department, helps him to get appointed as Royal Court Wizard to the King of New Ottosland. His offsider, Reg, an ensorcelled bird with a mysterious past, isn't so sure this is a good idea. But Gerald's choices are limited ...

'It's New Ottosland, or starve.

'But once he arrives it quickly becomes clear that King Lional isn't the vain, indolent young man he first appeared to be. And with the passing of time, it becomes even clearer that Lional's plans may not, in fact, be in Gerald's best interests ...' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'The Circlians have secured victory over the Pentadrian army, but Auraya′s sleep remains filled with nightmares of war. And the one person she once loved and trusted, Leiard, has disappeared.

When a sickness sweeps through the tribes of the Siyee, the White send Auraya to help them. It is there that she begins to learn the truth about Leiard ... And far to the south, the Pentadrians lick their wounds and set about finding a new leader.

Their faith unshaken, they are still resolved to convert the heathens of the north. In the aftermath of war, the Priestess is forced to make a terrible choice - the consequences of which could change the world forever.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'The old magician paused. "If this young woman is a natural, we should expect her to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician."

Each year, the magicians of Imardin gather together to purge the city streets of vagrants and miscreants. Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no ordinary lowlife can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as imprenetrable as they think. Sonea, angry, frustrated and outraged by the treatment of her family and friends, throws a stone at the shield, putting all her rage behind it. She is amazed when it sails unrestricted through the barrier and knocks a magician unconscious. The Guild's worst fear has been realised. There is an untrained magician loose in Imardin who must be found before her uncontrolled powers can destroy herself and the city.'

Source: Author's website www.trudicanavan.com (Sighted 16/4/10)

'Still, she dares not ignore the terrifying truths the High Lord would share with her, even though she fears it may be base trickery, a scheme to use her astonishing powers to accomplish his dark aims. For Sonea knows her future is in his hands -- and that only in the shadows will she achieve true greatness . . . if she survives'.

Source: bookseller's website.