Cirrus@Austlit

'Two warriors. One wields the power of music, one the strength of her sword. Both face a grave threat in this enthralling historical fantasy.

'After a violent encounter with masked men and the sinister Crow Folk, Prince Aolu of Dalriada disappears without a trace, and his companion Galen is seriously injured.

'Liobhan and the Swan Island warriors seek answers to the prince's abduction. For Liobhan this mission is personal, as Galen is her beloved brother.

'While she and her team investigate, Liobhan's younger brother Brocc is in serious trouble. Brocc's secret attempt to communicate with the Crow Folk triggers a shocking incident, and sends him on a path which endangers the one he loves above all else.

'What brought the Crow Folk to Erin? And who plots to use them in an unscrupulous bid for power? As Liobhan and Brocc seek the truth, it becomes clear the two missions are connected - and an extraordinary mystery unfolds.

'With the safety of their loved ones in the balance, the risks they must take may cost them everything.'  (Publication summary)

'The war is over and the army is defeated. After suffering terrible personal losses, Corporal Katrin Jorgensen makes her weary way homeward alone and on foot. A chance encounter with a strange old woman leads Katrin onto an unexpected path involving dogs, treasure and a lost tinder box.'

Source: Author's website.

'Running away from home on a stormy night, a soaked and weary Bella seeks shelter in a strange old house. There she discovers not only that the shy kitchen hand, Fred, cooks the best pea soup she’s ever tasted, but also that he’s a sort of prince. Fred’s mother wants a wife for him, but she has ridiculously high standards. And Bella’s determined to make her own choices.'

Source: Author's website.

'Niamh knows Ronan is her soulmate. But can a chieftain’s daughter marry a kennel boy?  To make her dream come true, Niamh asks the Mother Thorn for help. But dealing with the Otherworld is tricky. If you’re not careful with your words, your future may take an unexpected turn.'

Source: Author's website. 

'Lara’s duty to her mother binds her to a life of lonely drudgery. A surprising encounter at the Witching Well brings a new friend into her life, and she discovers that acts of kindness can bring their own rewards.'

Source: Author's website.

'Walk into a fairy tale world that’s not quite what you might expect.

'Lara’s life of lonely drudgery changes when she gains an unlikely friend and learns that acts of kindness can bring their own rewards. High-born Niamh knows the kennel boy is her soulmate, but when she seeks help from the Otherworld, her future takes a surprising turn. Bella runs away from home on a stormy night and finds shelter in a strange old house, where she meets a shy kitchen hand, his autocratic mother, and a mouse. Young soldier Katrin makes her weary way homeward after a terrible defeat. A chance encounter with an old woman plunges Katrin into an adventure involving dogs, treasure and a lost tinder box.

'These four tales celebrate courage and kindness. They are about being to true to yourself and recognising the good in others.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'An accident. A forfeit of freedom. A descent into danger.

'Liobhan, the young warrior and bard, has lost her brother to the Otherworld. Even more determined to gain a place as an elite fighter, she returns to Swan Island to continue her training. But Liobhan is devastated when her comrade Dau is injured and loses his sight in their final display bout. Blamed by Dau's family for the accident, she agrees to go to his home, Oakhill, as a bond servant for one year.

'Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. They are both training for the elite warrior band on Swan Island when they are asked to join a mission that requires posing as travelling minstrels.

'Their task is to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has mysteriously vanished. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted. Faced with plotting courtiers, secretive druids, an insightful storyteller and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realises an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision and a heartbreaking choice ...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'With the Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon as her inspiration, Juliet Marillier weaves a magical story of a young princess' search for her true self.

'Hulde is a queen's daughter and lives in a palace. But her life is lonely. Growing up atop the glass mountain, she knows only her violent and autocratic mother and a household of terrified servants. 

'Then a white bear named Rune comes to visit, and Hulde learns what kindness is. 

'But the queen has a plan for Hulde. When she turns 16, she will wed the most beautiful man in all the world. Hulde has never met her intended husband, and her mother refuses to explain the arrangement. Hulde becomes desperate to find out more, and seeks the help of a magic mirror. Perhaps someone is coming to her rescue. 

'On her wedding day, Hulde's existence is turned upside down. For the first time she leaves the glass mountain behind, setting out to be as brave as the heroines in her beloved storybook. 

'The journey will test Hulde to the limit. Can she overcome her fears and take control of her own life? '  (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)

'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)