"Fantasy epic of grand proportions!"

Silver, like a double-edged sword, is both protector and destroyer in the Otherworld of the Sidhe. Time usually doesn't run parallel in the land of Faerie and the land of Man. However, the time is fast approaching when both of the worlds will have the veil between them open at the same time. Fey will move against fey, human against human, and both Sidhe and Human will war against the other. There remains the even greater horror of the Goblin Horde waiting eagerly to feast upon human flesh and bathe in Sidhe blood. Three courageous women are all that stand between the total annihilation of both worlds.

Nessa, the fiery daughter of Dougal the Blacksmith, is seeking more than just her missing father. Her mother ran away with a fey lord who stole both her body and her heart out of the human realm. Her goal is to find the father who raised and trained her in the arts of blacksmithing and bring him back home after he's mysteriously disappeared, leaving only the hideous carcass of a goblin behind. She doesn't expect to fall in love with a half-blooded Prince of Faerie, or to have the fate of both worlds rest on her handiwork.

Delphinea, Lady of the Sidhe's ailing mother sent her to help the Queen and save their land from the sudden disease and decay, which should not have been possible in the land of the Fey. A babe in a nest of political vipers, she must figure out who is friend and who is foe in the land of Faerie. Her greatest ally will be found in the last possible place she expects.

Cecily, the Duchess married to a man not of her choosing, seeks to do what's right for her people in spite of lacking warmth in her husband's bed. Duty and honor must come before her true soul mate. Reluctantly, she'll be forged from her trials and that of their land into a Queen to rouse her people under one banner, in order to fight and defend against the onslaught fast approaching.

Ms. Kelleher weaves another fantasy epic of grand proportions, sweeping the reader off into lands, legends and lore. Part Arthurian, part Tolkien and part fairy tale, the mix creates an incredible world for the reader's fertile mind to take root. It starts off slow, but then takes off with a bang and never releases you from its grasp. Warning: Looks to be part of a series and therefore leaves you hanging, begging for more. I can't wait for the next installment!

Reviewed by Anne Barringer
Posted May 14, 2004