Cirrus@Austlit

'The Denova Empire is flourishing under Loethar's rule, to the surprise of many. Peace, prosperity and pride has swept across the realms as Loethar urges the invading people of the Steppes to integrate with the west. The harmony is his great achievement but Loethar is bored. So is Leo, the self proclaimed true king, living in seclusion in the forests. Now 22, he is eager to stake his claim and return the Valisar dynasty to the throne.

Freath, meanwhile continues his double life, secretly loyal to Valisar but working as sage counsel to the Empire. When he learns that the lost invalid heir, Piven, is alive he sets a plan in motion to find and reunite the brothers in safety.

But a new evil is stirring that none could have foreseen and only one person knows that the legendary Valisar Enchantment is rising. Soon the wars and destruction that formed an empire will seem a squabble by comparison to the darkness that is threatening.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Alliances shift as decades-old secrets can no longer be hidden. The revelation that Emperor Loethar and his enemy, King Leonel, share the same paternal royal blood destroys previous loyalties. And it seems that Piven is no longer the helpless orphan everyone believed him to be. Perhaps most startling of all is the discovery that the first Valisar princess to survive in centuries is returning to the world and may well wield the famed Valisar Enchantment.

As the empire threatens to tear itself to pieces, former enemies must now work on the same side and friends become the hunted to protect the imperial line.

At all costs royal blood must prevail ... even when it pitches Valisar against Valisar.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Led by Loethar, an ambitious and ruthless tyrant, a terrifying army of mercenaries and renegades from the great southern steppes threaten to overwhelm the Kingdom of Penraven, having already overthrown its two neighbouring realms, leaving a trail of devastation and broken lives in their wake.

'Penraven is Loethar's most desired prize, not only because of its wealth, safe harbour, extensive coastline, and abundant natural resources. This time the tyrant wants more than a crown. Driven by dreams of empire, fuelled by his increasing obsession with magic, Loethar's plan to overthrow King Brennus of Penraven, 9th of the Valisars, was cemented the hour upon when he learned that Brennus possessed the power of coercion.

'All of the Valisar heirs have been blessed down the ages with the sinister ability to bend people entirely to their will and Loethar is convinced that if he consumes these empowered people he will then be imbued with their skills and magics... and be unstoppable.' (Publisher's blurb)

'The Paladin are reunited in the Heartwood and the Trinity is revealed at last. But what is the key to the secret which will unlock their power? Tor and Alyssa are surrounded by danger. Their old enemy, Goth, is still free to cause pain and suffering wherever he goes, whilst Alyssa′s nemesis, Xantia, returns to haunt her. Meanwhile, the god Orlac has installed himself on the throne of Cipres and turns his attention to hunting down Tor, determined to kill him and those he loves. The battle lines are drawn for the final confrontation between the two most powerful sentients ever to walk the Land.' (Source: LibrariesAustralia)

'An accomplished fantasy of maturity and depth, Routley's second novel (after Mage Heart) continues the story of Dion Holyhands, raised by a stern foster-father to develop her outstanding magical powers. Here, Dion is reintroduced to the extended family she had lost and continues her coming-of-age, including renewed battle against her lover and foe, the demon Bedazzer. Dion is a strong character, introspective but often misled by self-doubt and guilt. Aided by the gypsylike Wanderers, she finds that her magic has destined her for a central role in the government of her homeland, Moria. While many genre fantasies simply add magic to political intrigue, Routley's are noteworthy for the natural and inevitable intertwining of the two. Here, for instance, different countries prohibit and allow different magics, thereby controlling their citizens. Well-drawn backgrounds and characters add to the appeal, as Routley produces another fantasy that can be read for more than myth or pyrotechnics, accelerating her rise as one of the genre's bright new stars'.

Source: Bookseller's website.