Celieria in an Alternate Universe

The Tairen are magical winged cats of the Fading Lands who are dying. Rain Tairen Soul, the King of the Fey and the Fading Lands is bereft. If the Tairen die, then so do Rain’s people, the Fey. Rain has been the ruler and most powerful Fey alive for over a thousand years after many wars, destruction, and the death of his beloved mate, Sariel. She may not have been the mate of his soul, but her death by the hands of his enemy, the Mages of Eld, caused Rain, in a moment of rage, to scorch the world by fire. Now he must find a way to save the Tairen and the Fey. Rain looks toward the Eye of Truth for a solution, which sends him to the mortal city of Celieria.

Every year, Marissya v’En Solande, the Truthspeaker, along with her Fey warriors, visits the king and queen of Celieria. Marissya is also the mate and wife called the shei’dalin of the Fey warrior Dax. There is much fanfare when these warriors come, and the Baristani twin sisters want their big sister, Ellysetta, to take them to the square to watch the Feyreisen procession. Twenty-four year old Ellie is the adopted daughter of woodcarver Sol and Lauriana Baristani. Her parents found Ellie abandoned in the woods as a baby and took her in. Ellie is considered to be a unique woman. Along with her shocking orange-like hair and green eyes, she also has horrible nightmares and seizures for no reason. Most of her seizures have stopped, but she continues to have horrible dreams of pain and death. Plus, the fact that the disgusting butcher’s son wants to make her his wife does not sit well with Ellie at all. But she is way past a marriageable age and knows that she cannot remain single for much longer.

As Rain goes to Calieria, he feels a sudden connection to a woman named Ellie and knows she is his shi’dalin, his true mate. He now must find her and make her his. Rain believes that Ellie can make him whole and able to feel the love and happiness that he hasn’t felt in eons. As Ellie watches the Fey parade with her two younger sisters, Rain, in his tairen-cat form locates Ellie. He is so overcome with possessing her that he only frightens Ellie. She is awestruck around Rain and is not sure about this whole mating business. She finds him attractive and godlike, but she thinks he only wants her because he “feels” she is the second half of his soul. There is no talk of love, and the fact that he wants to take her away from her family and everything she has ever known worries Ellie. And why would an incredible man like Rain want a skinny, carrot-head nobody like her?

Rain is not used to being told no, but through his ironclad will, he will court Ellie for a few months before they must return to the Fading Lands. Then she will fall in love with him and be his mate forever. As Rain and Ellie try to get to know each other, there are enemies and jealous rivals out to destroy their shaky relationship. Den, the butcher’s son, still wants Ellie for his own because he knows she can do magic. Plus, evil surrounds the town of Calieria, as the High Mage Vadim also wants to rule the Fading Lands.

WOW. That is the only word I can use to describe this inventive, magical fantasy world. LORD OF THE FADING LANDS is a roller coaster of emotions, from pain, love, and anything else you can think of. It has been such a long time since I have read such a novel with incredible characters and imagination. I truly did not know what to expect when I starting reading this story and was quite wary because there are so many other fantasy-like generic books on the market. From the first page, I felt the power and fury of Rain and the innocence and frightened nature of Ellie. There are so many other characters that add to this lyrical and complex book, that if I had to mention them all, I would spend pages and pages going over all their attributes. Rain and Ellie’s own romance is sweet and has just enough passion for most romance enthusiasts’ enjoyment. Nor does their love story take over so much for the straight fantasy fans.

New author C.L. Wilson could possibly be the best new author in the fantasy genre for 2007 and beyond. This is the first book in her new Fading Lands series, and it ends on such a note that I will definitely rush out to buy the second book, LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS, that comes out in November 2007. LORD OF THE FADING LANDS is an overall excellent fantasy romance that should not be missed, and a Perfect 10!

Kate Garrabrant