In the languorous second installment of Rhodes's Elven Ways saga (after 2007's The Four Forges
), civil war threatens to destroy the Vaelinar, a magical race that was mysteriously displaced to the sprawling realm of Kerith generations earlier. Several factions among the native races, angry and fearful at having to share the land and all its riches with the strange and powerful Vaelinar, have begun to plot their demise. As an all-out war looms, lovers Sevryn and Rivergrace must solve problems close to home before they can engage with their many adversaries: Sevryn battles the residue of demon within his soul, while Rivergrace tries to find peace with an elemental goddess who has become a vital part of her being. The intricately plotted, character-driven saga of the Vaelinar's desperate struggles finds anchors in folklore and legend, appealing to fans of slower pacing and detailed world building. (June)
