One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold burst onto the scene in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of her tremendously popular Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including two Nebula Awards for best novel (Falling Free and Paladin of Souls), four Hugo Awards for Best Novel (Paladin of Souls, The Vor Game, Barrayar, and Mirror Dance), as well as the Hugo and Nebula Awards for her novella The Mountains of Mourning. Her work has been translated into twenty-one languages. The mother of two, Bujold lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliff receives the assignment to escort the body of the late Prince Boleso, along with his apparent murderer, the orphaned Lady Ijada, to Kingstown to assist in quelling the political unrest threatening to erupt. With the impending death of the Hallow King and the succession in question, Ingrey must ascertain the truth behind Boleso's death to insure the survival of the kingdom and of the woman he has come to love. Bujold's third installment in her fantasy epic (after Paladin of Souls and The Curse of Chalion) bears testimony to the author's talent for creating inventive and appealing heroes and exotic worlds. Political intrigue, shamanic marriage, and dynastic drama combine for a topnotch addition to most fantasy collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/05.] Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
The absorbing third installment in Bujold's epic fantasy series (after The Curse of Chalion and the Hugo-winning Paladin of Souls) links a disinherited swordsman hero with a beguiling damsel accused of murdering a royal prince in a land worshiping five gods, menaced by encroaching neighbors and swarming with ancient magic and lethal political intrigue. Lord Ingrey kin Wolfcliff, sent by the kingdom's sealmaster to fetch orphaned Lady Ijada to trial, soon learns they both unwillingly bear animal spirits received in forbidden power rites stretching centuries back into the primeval Weald. With the aged Hallow King now dying, Ingrey and Ijada journey toward the king's hall at Easthome, falling into a love that appears doomed, while Ingrey's powerful fey cousin, Lord Wencel, spins a cunning web of bloodthirsty ambition that binds them to him in an unholy trinity. Though the book's complicated magical-religious structure requires considerable suspension of disbelief, Bujold brings to life a multitude of convincing secondary characters, especially skaldic warrior-poet Prince Jokol and his ice bear, Fafa. Bujold's ability to sustain a breathless pace of action while preserving a heady sense of verisimilitude in a world of malignant wonders makes this big novel occasionally brilliant-and not a word too long. Agent, Eleanor Wood. (June 1) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
"An unusual kind of ghost story that transcends the usual intimate form by several degrees of magnitude." -- Locus"Well worth exploring, offering a new twist on Bujold's addictive mix of suspense, romance, heroism, politics, and unconventional religion." -- Mythprint
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