Daughter of Aithne

The first two books of Gastreich’s Silver Web fantasy trilogy followed the magic-wielding Eolyn from a childhood with the old witch Ghemena to her adult life as the leader of the magas (female mages) and the queen of Moisehén. She’s married to her long-time love, King Akmael, and together they raise their children. When the trusted Ghemena inexplicably kidnaps Eolyn’s stepdaughter, Princess Eliasara, dark forces conspiring to destroy Eolyn, Akmael, and the magas seize the opportunity to strike with chaos and death. As the situation grows more dire, Gastreich raises the stakes by restricting Eolyn’s magic and keeping most of her allies all but powerless. Eolyn is a standout character, and her desperate and cunning attempts to save her kingdom and family enhance both her development and the prose. Gastreich retains the best elements of love, war, and plotting from her previous books while deepening Eolyn with grief and war-weariness that add to her determination to make peace. Fans of the trilogy won’t want to miss this hard-hitting finish. (BookLife)