Cirrus@Austlit

'Embittered healer Blackthorn, wrongly condemned to death, is offered a lifeline by a mysterious stranger. In return, she must set aside her bid for vengeance against the man who destroyed all that she once loved. Not only that: for seven years she must agree to help anyone who asks for her aid. She and her companion Grim settle on the fringes of a mysterious forest in Dalriada, far from the place of their incarceration, and start a new life.

'Oran, the crown prince of Dalriada, is waiting for his bride-to-be, Lady Flidais. Her letters and sweet portrait have convinced him that she is his destined true love.

'But letters can lie.

'To save Oran from disaster, Blackthorn and Grim will need courage, ingenuity, and more than a little magic.' (Publication summary)

'Award-winning author Juliet Marillier's Blackthorn and Grim series continues as a mysterious creature holds an enchanted and imperiled ancient Ireland in thrall. Lady Geiléis, a noblewoman from the northern border, has asked for the prince of Dalriada's help in expelling a howling creature from an old tower on her land - one surrounded by an impenetrable hedge of thorns. Casting a blight over the entire district, and impossible to drive out by ordinary means, the mysterious presence threatens both the safety and the sanity of all who live nearby. As Blackthorn and Grim begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together, it becomes clear that a powerful adversary is at work. Their quest is about to become a life and death struggle - where even the closest of friends can find themselves entangled in intrigue.' (Publication summary)

'Feather bright and feather fine

'None shall harm this child of mine

'Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good. But after the most recent ordeal she and Grim have suffered, she knows she cannot let go of her quest to bring justice to the man who ruined her life.

'Despite her own struggles, Blackthorn agrees to help the princess of Dalriada to care for a troubled young girl who has been brought to court, while Grim travels to the girl's home at Wolf Glen to aid her wealthy father with a strange task, repairing a broken down house deep in the woods. It doesn't take Grim long to realize that everything in Wolf Glen is not as it seems, the place is full of perilous secrets and deadly lies.

'Back at Winterfalls, the evil touch of Blackthorn's sworn enemy reopens old wounds and fuels her long simmering desire for retribution. With danger on two fronts, Blackthorn and Grim are faced with a heartbreaking choice, to stand once again by each other's side or to fight their battles alone.' (Publication summary)