All young Eyvind ever wanted was to become a great Viking warrior---a Wolfskin---and carry honor out in the name of his fathergod, Thor. He can think of no future more glorious. The chance to make it happen is his when his chieftain, Ulf, is brought the tale of a magical land across the sea, a place where men with courage can go to conquer a land and bring glory to themselves.
They set out to find this fabled land and discover a windswept and barren place, but one filled with unexpected beauty and hidden treasures . . . and a people who are willing to share their bounty. Ulf's new settlement begins in harmony with the natives of the isles led by the gentle king Engus. And Eyvind finds a treasure of his own in the young Nessa, niece of the king, seer and princess.
His life will change forever as she claims his heart for her own. But someone has come along to this new land who is not what he seems. Somerled, the strange and lonely boy that Eyvind befriended long ago, has a secret---and his own plans for the future. The blood oath that they swore in childhood binds them in lifelong loyalty, and Somerled is calling in the debt of honor. What he asks of Eyvind might just doom him to kill the only thing that Evyind has ever truly loved. Will the price of honor create the destruction of all that Eyvind holds dear?
About the Author
Juliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, a town with strong Scottish roots. She graduated from Otago University with a B.A. in languages and an honours degree in music, and has had a varied career that includes teaching and performing music as well as working in government agencies. Juliet now lives in the Swan Valley area near Perth, Western Australia, where she writes full-time. Her garden features trees and herbs, in keeping with her druidic interests, and is a haven for local wildlife. Juliet currently shares her home with a dog and a cat. Juliet Marillier is the author of the internationally acclaimed Sevenwaters Trilogy, a historical fantasy series set in ninth-century Ireland.
Industry Reviews
"Juliet Marillier is among the most skilled of fantasy writers.... She is far better than Marion Zimmer Bradley." --Sara Douglass Juliet Marillier is among the most skilled of fantasy writers.... She is far better than Marion Zimmer Bradley. Sara Douglass" "Juliet Marillier is among the most skilled of fantasy writers.... She is far better than Marion Zimmer Bradley."--Sara Douglass