Cirrus@Austlit

'Sibeal has always known that she is destined for a spiritual life, and is committed to it with all her heart. The only thing left for her to do before she enters the nemetons is to spend the summer visiting her sisters, Muirrin and Clodagh, on the northern island of Inis Eala.

'But Sibeal has barely set foot on the island before a freak storm out at sea sinks a ship before her eyes. In spite of frantic efforts, only three survivors are fished alive from the water, and one of them, a man Sibeal names Ardal, clings to life by the merest thread.

'Life continues on the island, as it must, and Sibeal befriends Ardal as he begins to regain his health. But it becomes clear there is something unusual about the three shipwrecked strangers. Why won't the beautiful Svala speak? And what is it that the gravely ill Ardal can't remember - or won't tell? When a visiting warrior is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and an attempt is made on Ardal's life, Sibeal finds herself a pawn in a deadly game. The truth will be far more astonishing than she could ever have believed - and the consequences for Sibeal unimaginable.' (From the publisher's website.)

'The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast forest, said by some to be one of the last refuges of the Tuatha De Danann, the Fair Folk of ancient story. Whatever the truth, Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed side by side in peace, sharing a wary trust. Until the spring when Lady Aisling of Sevenwaters finds herself expecting another child, and everything changes.

'With her mother pregnant, Clodagh fears for her health, as Aisling is well past the safe age for childbearing. Her father, Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, son of the famous Sorcha who performed her miraculous sacrifice all those years ago, faces his own difficulties, as warring factions threaten his borders. When Aisling gives birth, the responsibility of caring for the infant falls to Clodagh while her mother recovers.

'Then the family's joy turns to despair when an unspeakable horror falls upon Sevenwaters. Clodagh must finally confront the shadowy mystery of the silent forest and descend to the Otherworld, to find out why the trust between the two realms has been broken so tragically.

'Accompanied on her quest by a warrior of uncertain allegiance, Clodagh will have her courage tested to breaking point. The reward may be far greater than she ever dreamed...' (Publisher's blurb)