The savage war between two mighty families has ravaged the kingdom both wish to ruleโspawning treachery within the ranks of the Rennรฉ and Wills, drawing the brave, the innocent, and the malevolent alike into the bloody conflict. But a far more terrible consequence has arisen from the carnageโfor Death himself has been roused from his dread domain . . . and is preparing to walk the world again.
From Publishers Weekly
Like the River Wynnd at its center, the conclusion to Russell's Swans' War fantasy trilogy (after The Isle of Battle and The One Kingdom) rolls inexorably along, with many a tributary feeding into the main story. Ancient enchantments combine with contemporary hatreds to fuel a grand war for the kingship of the land, behind which lies a darker plot. The undying children of Wyrr work through human avatars, struggling to find the hidden resting place of their father and to remove or preserve the spell that keeps Death from the mortal realms. Their struggles involve all the folk who live in the land between the mountains, whether warlike or not. Hafydd, the black knight who bargains to release Death, must be defeated by both his enemies (Lady Elise Wills, Alaan the wanderer) and his allies. The story takes on depth from its depiction of myths come to life and the complexities of political struggles where neither side holds a monopoly on virtue or villainy. Unfortunately, the proliferation of warring parents, siblings and cousins leads to confusion as to which "Lord Wills" or "Lord Rennรฉ" has turned traitor or true once more. Russell provides a good feel for the tragic in prose that can ring as bright as rushing river water.
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About the Author
Sean Russell is the author of The One Kingdom and The Isle of Battle, previous books in the Swans' War trilogy, plus the River into Darkness books: Compass of the Soul and Beneath the Vaulted Hills; the Moontide and Magic Rise books: Sea Without a Shore and World Without End; and Gatherer of Clouds and The Initiate Brother. He lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with his wife and son.