"The saga of the dance begins..."

The saga of the dance begins in this, the first book of a series.

Kevla Bai-Sha began her life as little more then a beggar, until fate brings her face to face with a new destiny. She meets the khashim, her father, though that detail of her parentage is as yet unknown to her, and he takes her away to his palace to be a servant. He has ever loved her mother, though she is forbidden to him, and swears that though he cannot openly acknowledge his daughter, he will ensure that she has a good life and never wants for anything.

Jashemi-kha-Tahmu, son and heir to his father's legacy, knows immediately Kevla is his sister. He may not be able to publicly recognize her as his blood relation, but he strikes up an illicit friendship with her that sets in motion a chain of events foreshadowed centuries ago, in the wake of great danger.

A powerful force, the looming Shadow, is upon the land of Arukan, and Kevla is the only one who can control the forces necessary to stop it. With Jashemi's help, she must remember her true heritage and enter the lair of the Great Dragon to find strength and be reborn in its flames. Thus begins the greatest battle of good vs. evil any of them have ever known.

Ms. Golden begins a powerful story with this novel. Her vivid prose details a grand world of desert sands and fiery mountains, a world the reader will fall in to and envision as if there with the characters. One will truly see the caverns of the Great House, the fantastic creatures, and of course, the fiery lair of the Great Dragon.

Kevla is a young girl thrust into a life she never dreamed or hoped could be hers, only to have it snatched away again. However, that only serves to open her to an even greater fate. When readers meet her, she is a shy, slightly frightened and very overwhelmed young girl, but grows strong in her new life. That gives her the ability to use, if not understand at first, the mystical powers she wields, all leading her to become the powerful woman she was meant to be, born anew On Fire's Wings. Her growth of character is central to the story, for without her there is no story.

This story will fascinate and intrigue readers, leaving them breathlessly awaiting the next fantasy in this new saga. This reviewer was captivated, and hopes she does not have a long wait for the next chapter to be released.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, July 2004. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted November 28, 2004