Cirrus@Austlit

'Cadvan of Lirigon, once the most brilliant young Bard of his generation, is exiled for a terrible crime which caused the death of his lover, Ceredin, and the serious injury of his rival, Dernhil of Gent. Racked by guilt and self-contempt, he flees to a poor mining village, seeking a new life as a humble cobbler. His exile is broken when Dernhil tracks him down, with the news that the evil Cadvan unwittingly loosed on Annar, the revenant Bone Queen, is stalking Lirigon. Together the Bards must save not only the living, but also the dead. But can Dernhil forgive the injury that Cadvan caused him? And can Cadvan ever forgive himself?

'Critically acclaimed fantasy author Alison Croggon returns to Pellinor with The Bone Queen, a prequel to the events described in the popular Books of Pellinor quartet. The Bone Queen tells the story of Cadvan‘s struggle for redemption, as the Dark begins its quest to destroy the Bards of Annar.' (Source: Author website)

'Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child when her family is destroyed in war. She is unaware that she possesses a powerful gift, a gift that marks her as a member of the School of Pellinor. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true heritage and extraordinary destiny unfolds. Now she and her teacher, Cadvan, must survive a punishing and uncertain journey through a time and place where the dark forces they battle with stem from the deepest recesses of other-worldly terror.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Maerad is a girl with a tragic and bitter past, but her powers grow stronger by the day. Now she and her mentor, Cadvan, pursued by both the Light and the Dark, are seeking the Riddle of the Treesong - the key to restoring peace to the ravaged kingdom.

But is Maerad herself the greatest riddle of all?

Maerad's epic quest continues as she travels from terrifying seas to vast stretches of glacial wilderness, drawn ever closer to her enemy the Winterking - the strongest ally of the Nameless One and the greatest tyrant of them all.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Whilst his sister, Maerad, pursues her dangerous destiny in the frozen North, Hem is sent south to Turbansk for his own safety. But soon the forces of the Dark overrun the great city and Hem flees with his mentor, Saliman, his white crow, Irc, and a young orphan girl, Zelika, to join the resistance. He agrees to help fight the Nameless One by spying on the child armies of the Dark. Now Hem has a vision – he too has a part to play in Maerad's quest for the Treesong. But Zelika has been captured by the child army, and Hem's destiny must wait. Hem pursues Zelika to the Dark's stronghold, little realizing that her cause is lost. He reunites with Saliman and, broken-hearted, starts the perilous search for his sister.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In a desperate race against the Dark, Maerad must try to solve the final riddle of the Treesong. Only then will the Nameless One be defeated and peace restored to the Seven Kingdoms. But Maerad only holds the key to half the riddle - her long-lost brother, Hem, has the other.

'Before embarking on a perilous journey to find Hem, Maerad must first wage an epic war against the Landrost. And Hem, fleeing the advances of the Black Army, must endure betrayal and mortal illness in his search for Maerad.

'But the Dark grows ever more powerful - will brother and sister reach one another in time or will all be lost in a final, apocalyptic battle?' (Publisher's blurb)