Cirrus@Austlit

'When the death of Iron Queen Sarelin Brey fractures the realm of Elira, Lysande Prior, the palace scholar and the queen's closest friend, is appointed Councillor. Publically, Lysande must choose the next monarch from amongst the city-rulers vying for the throne. Privately, she seeks to discover which ruler murdered the queen, suspecting the use of magic.

'Resourceful, analytical, and quiet, Lysande appears to embody the motto she was raised with: everything in its place. Yet while she hides her drug addiction from her new associates, she cannot hide her growing interest in power. She becomes locked in a game of strategy with the city-rulers—especially the erudite prince Luca Fontaine, who seems to shift between ally and rival.

'Further from home, an old enemy is stirring: the magic-wielding White Queen is on the move again, and her alliance with a traitor among the royal milieu poses a danger not just to the peace of the realm, but to the survival of everything that Lysande cares about.

'In a world where the low-born keep their heads down, Lysande must learn to fight an enemy who wears many guises—even as she wages her own battle between ambition and restraint.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In the new land, everyone works together to bring Kydan the wealth and strength it needs to survive the inevitable confrontation with the old world. Strategos Galys Valera believes the key to defeating the Hamilayan Empire is buried in the papers left behind by her dead lover, Kitayra Albyn ... but can it be found in time?

'Across the Deepening Sea, Empress Lerena Kevleren is forging her power base made from human sacrifice and her overwhelming control of the Sefid, the source of all magic, before turning her gaze on Kydan.

'This final confrontation between old and new, magic and freedom, and between empire and a growing nation state, will determine the fate of millions – not least the brave band of colonists who set out from Hamilay to settle Kydan with courage and hope in their hearts. (From the publisher's website.)

'After surviving battle and sorcery, the people of Kydan are divided among themselves and face civil war. Strategos Galys Valera and her allies must heal divisions and forge a united city in time to face the greatest threat of all, a rogue Kevleren prince bent on bloody revenge.

'Meanwhile, the Hamilayan empire itself faces a terrible conflagration as its empress, Lerena, pursues her destiny to become history's most powerful Wielder of the Sefid, the great well of magical power that underlies all creation. Even nations must fall before her ambition. (From the publisher's website.)

'The Kevleren dynasty rules both the Hamilayan empire and the kingdom of Rivald because they, and only they, can use the Sefid, the true source of all magic. But Wielding the Sefid comes at a terrible cost, the sacrifice of something loved.

'Hamilay's new empress, Lerena, no sooner ascends the throne than she is faced by the joint crises of an expansionist Rivald overseas and an unstable, love-spurned sister at home – whose influence with the Sefid is greater than any who have come before. Then a revolution in Rivald creates the greatest threat her family has ever faced, and the Kevlerens confront extinction at the hands of those they trusted most. (From the publisher's website.)

'Areava′s husband died fighting for Grenda Lear and she has lost her baby in childbirth. It seems that grief will overshadow her life, especially as her favourite brother, Olio, has now gone missing. But if she wants to remain Queen of Grenda Lear then she must take action or civil war will overrun them all. Lynan, her brother and holder of the Key of Union, is on the march with an army of Chetts headed by Korigan, their Queen; the rebel army increasingly wins more battles than it loses and inexorably makes its way south towards the capital of Kendra. Ultimately, the capital itself is under siege, and all the supernatural powers and political forces at the disposal of Lynan and Areava are unleashed. There can only be one ruler of Grenda Lear—who will win, and at what cost?' Source: publisher's website (http://www.harpercollins.com.au/).

'After suffering near-fatal injuries, Lynan Rosetheme, holder of the Key of Union, is healed and transformed through the blood of the vampire Silona. He awakes from his deep sleep to find he has found refuge from his avenging sister, Areava, queen of Grenda Lear, with the wild northern Chetts who live on the Ocean of Grass. Now he must unite them behind him so he can win back his inheritance from Areava and her allies'.

Source: Publisher's website (http://www.harpercollins.com.au/).

'Together, the four Keys of Power give the ruler of Grenda Lear absolute authority. But Queen Usharna divides the keys amongst her four children ... and tensions within the royal family and within Usharna's kingdom are set to explode into violence and betrayal. Prince Lynan is Usharna's youngest son, ignored by his mother and her court, always unsure of his own future. When fate hands him one of the magical Keys of Power, he suddenly finds that he is in control of his own destiny. Can Lynan, with the help of the giant Kumul, the crookback Ager, and Jenrosa the fledgling magician, survive long enough to claim his inheritance . . . '.

Source: Publisher's website (http://www.voyageronline.com.au/default.cfm). Sighted 14/2/11.

'They called the robomaid "Clockwork Kitty" until she informed them of her right name. She was a triumph of Japan's far-future robotics industry and she was a present to John Grimes as he set out aboard Sister Sue for a voyage to the planet called New Salem.

New Salem was a colony of blue-nosed religious fanatics and Grimes knew it meant trouble. For in addition to his sexy-looking robot he had Shirl and Darleen aboard, two wild ones of kangaroo ancestry, sure to be problems. And trouble came, not merely from the fire-wielding bigots but from Grimes' old enemy, Drongo Kane.'

(Source: www.baenebooks.com)