Duainfey
by
Sharon Lee,
Steve MillerIn a Hurry Synopsis:
In a world separated by a thin border from the lands of the Fey, Rebecca Beauvelley knows that for her younger sister Caroline to make a marriage beneficial to their family, a husband must soon be found for Rebecca, despite her crippled and useless arm. When her father betroths her to a cruel northern lord, she runs away with the charming elder Fey Altamire. Too late, Rebecca discovers that Altamire's intentions are far from honorable and that she has become a sexual pawn in his rise to power among the Fey and human lands. The husband-and-wife writing team, authors of the "
Liaden Universe" series (e.g.,
I Dare), begin a new series that blends the fantasy and romance genres in one seamless whole. Some steamily graphic sex scenes may limit this to an adult readership
More Detail
Duainfey (2008) is the first fantasy novel in a new duology. A hint on a breeze through the keleigh led the Queen of Viatura to send someone to investigate. The Woods Wise reluctantly returns to Xandurana and her queen to report.
The Barrens caused by the great war have healed and a new people have settled in the land. They do not appear to use kest at all, but have brought great bounty from the land. Their auras are beautiful and even intoxicating.
In this novel, Rebecca Beauvelly is the elder daughter of an Earl. She is unmarried due to her deformed arm and the shame that she had brought upon her house. Yet her father has found a suitable match for her and she is soon to marry. Her younger sister Caroline is eagerly awaiting her chance to come out in New London.
Her brother Dickon has been her protector from spiteful others for many years. He can't quite stop Caroline from making disparaging remarks, but he tries. His friend Ferdy is also Rebecca's friend.
Becca is helping prepare for a dance that her sister Caroline has persuaded their mother to hold. Caro can be very persuasive when she pouts, pleads and cries. Dickon comes with news about a stranger in the area, a Fey gentleman from the other side of the boundary.
Altimere is tall and very handsome, with buttery colored hair and amber eyes. He has come to talk to Ferdy's father about starting a breeding farm with Fey horses. Lord Quince has already breed a quarter-Fey mare that seems very smart, but not malevolent like the grandsire.
Sir Jennet Hale is Rebecca's fiance, In their only meeting, Sir Jennet seemed to be quiet-spoken, portly, a bit red in the face, and about her father's age. His previous wife being deceased, Sir Jennet needs another to hold his household.
Meripen Vanglelauf is a Woods Wise ranger. He has been asleep for nine thousand nights recovering from his wounds. He and Faldana Camlauf had been captured beyond the keleigh by the Newmen and horribly tortured. Meri had escaped, but Faldana had not.
In this story, Rebecca meets Altimere while seeking aid for a fallen friend. Altimere is well spoken and takes an instant liking to Rebecca. He compliments her on her riding and comments on her aura. At the ball, he dances the first set with her. Caroline is as quickly enamored of the Fey gentleman and tries to separate the two on several occasions.
Sir Jennet is furious that Rebecca had paid attention to another man and drags her to a chair and throws her in it. He hurts her deformed arm in doing so and seems to delight in her pain. Later, her father orders her to apologize to Sir Jennet.
Rebecca runs away from the marriage to Sir Jennet. Altimere rides with her and somehow nobody appears to observe her presence. Her brother rides right by her without noticing. She doesn't wonder about these happenings, but follows behind Altimere through the boundary, which the Fey call the keleigh.
Rebecca slowly notices her own deference to Altimere and her lack of self-will. When Altimere gives her a diamond bracelet to wear, she slips it on two-handed, but not without great effort. Afterward, she finds herself doing things totally against her will.
Meri is awakened from his recuperative sleep and taken to the Engenium, his cousin Sian. Neither he -- nor the chyarch who has been caring for him -- know why Sian has sent for him. And when he arrives at Sea Hold, Sian denies sending such orders.
Sian introduces Meri to a Newman living on her lands. The trees near his village are not doing well and Sian has no other ranger to send to the village. Meri knows his duty and goes with the Newman, but has to fight against the effects of his aura.
This tale develops into a story of political intrigue among the Fey. The current queen had won the throne after the great war weakened the Elder Fey. Queen Diathen is not herself Elder Fey and they view this situation as an abomination. So the Elder Fey are working on her downfall.
The story is actually two tales, one about Rebecca and the other about Meripen. They do not meet in this novel, but they are connected through Sian. Surely they will come together in the next volume of the series: Longeyes. Enjoy!
Highly recommended for Lee & Miller fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic cultures, high magic, and great perseverance.
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Chapters One to Nine
