A trick of magic, a twist of fate.
As the orphaned nephew of the king, trusted companion to his cousin, and second heir to the throne of Skala, Prince Tobin’s future is clear. But not as clear as the spring in which a hill witch shows him his true face — and his secret destiny....
Now Tobin carries a burden he cannot share with even his closest friend, Ki, his squire. He is to rule — not as he is but as he was born: a woman. Given the shape of a boy by dark magic, Tobin is the last hope of the people of Illior — those who desperately seek a return to the old ways, when Skala was ruled by a line of warrior queens. They still believe that only a woman can lift the war, famine, and pestilence that have run rampant through the land since the king usurped his half sister’s throne. It is these outlaw wizards and witches who protect Tobin — and it is for them that Tobin must accept his fate.
With the unsuspecting yet fiercely loyal Ki at his side, Tobin must turn traitor against the only blood ties he has left. He must lift the masks of Skala’s rulers to show their true colors — before he can reveal the power of the woman within himself.
Author Biography: Lynn Flewelling was born in Presque Isle, Maine, in 1958. She received her BS from University of Maine, 1981 and went on to study on a Veterinary Med. Program. She has had a variety of jobs including, house painter, sales clerk, teacher, and copy writer. Among her favourite writers and influences are: Tom Stoppard, Mary Renault, Umberto Eco, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Lynn Flewelling currently lives in western New York, with her husband Doug, their two sons, and creatures that shed too much.
Industry Reviews
A fantasy that does not flinch from its premise all the way to a satisfying conclusion. The story pulled me under and carried me off with it' Robin Hobb 'It got its hooks into me on the first page and didn't let loose until the last' George R R Martin 'Original, well-written and totally absorbing ! a moving and thoroughly recommended read' Starburst