Cirrus@Austlit

'When Crown Prince Valamon is impossibly taken from the heart of Algaris Castle, the only clue as to motive or culprit is the use of unknown sorcery.

'Reclusive cleric Seris is happily tending to his book-infested temple until he finds himself drafted–for political reasons–to the rescue mission. His sole companion on the journey is Elhan, a cheerfully disturbed vagrant girl with terrifying combat skills and her own enigmatic reasons for seeking the prince.

'Venturing into the wild, unconquered lands, Seris has no fighting prowess, no survival skills, and no charisma, as Elhan keeps pointing out. Armed only with a stubborn streak and creative diplomacy, he must find a way to survive outlaw towns and incendiary masquerades, all without breaking his vow to do no harm.

'Chasing rumours of rebel camps and rising warlords, dangerous curses and the return of the vanished sorcerers, Seris and Elhan soon discover a web of treachery and long-buried secrets that go far beyond a kidnapped prince.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'It's been four years since Chris Arlin graduated with a degree in cryptobotany, and she's still no closer to scraping up funding for her research into rare plants. Instead, she's stacking shelves at the campus library until a suspiciously well-dressed man offers her a lucrative position on a scientific expedition.

'For Chris, the problem isn't the fact that they're searching for the Biblical Tree of Life. Nor is it the fact that most of the individuals on the expedition seem to be lethally fashionable mercenaries. The problem is that the mission is being backed by SinaCorp, the corporation responsible for a similar, failed expedition on which her mother died eleven years ago.

'However, when Chris's father is unexpectedly diagnosed with an incurable illness, Chris sees only one solution. Vowing to find the Tree of Life before SinaCorp's mercenaries, Chris recruits Luke, a sardonic campus priest undergoing a crisis of faith. Together, they embark on a desperate, wondrous race to find the lost garden of Eden.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.