Firethorn Series by Sarah Micklem

Introducing a mesmerizing debut in the rich tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley–a passionate tale of love and war, honor and vengeance, in which the gods grant a common girl uncommon gifts… Before she was Firethorn, she was Luck, named for her red hair, favored by the goddess of Chance. A lowborn orphan, Luck is destined to a life of servitude. But when her mistress dies, Luck flees to the forest... moreIntroducing a mesmerizing debut in the rich tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley–a passionate tale of love and war, honor and vengeance, in which the gods grant a common girl uncommon gifts… Before she was Firethorn, she was Luck, named for her red hair, favored by the goddess of Chance. A lowborn orphan, Luck is destined to a life of servitude. But when her mistress dies, Luck flees to the forest. There she discovers the sacred firethorn tree, whose berries bring her fevered dreams, a new name–and curious talents. Transformed, she emerges from her exile a young woman with powers beyond her ken. Firethorn has changed, but her world has not…until one chance encounter alters her destiny forever. In the chaos of the UpsideDown Days, when the highborn and the low trade places, Firethorn couples with Sire Galan, a highborn warrior. Emboldened by desire and her own restlessness, she follows fate and Galan to camp with the king’s army. But their unspoken love has no place in a brutal world ruled by caste and violence, and a dark future threatens from the shadows. Living among soldiers, concubines, and wastrels, and faced with a series of tormenting challenges, Firethorn will have to rely on the enigmatic gifts Fate grants her to survive–body and soul. “A sweeping adventure saga as mystical as it is less

The highly anticipated second book in Sarah Micklem's literary fantasy trilogy that began with the critically acclaimed debut, "Firethorn." Sarah Micklem brings her lush prose and rich imagination to the second installment of this epic trilogy, set in an imaginary world as real as history and as marvelous as legend. Sire Galan has forbidden his servant and lover Firethorn to follow him to war, but she disobeys, and sets sail with the army of Corymb to the land of Incus... moreThe highly anticipated second book in Sarah Micklem's literary fantasy trilogy that began with the critically acclaimed debut, "Firethorn." Sarah Micklem brings her lush prose and rich imagination to the second installment of this epic trilogy, set in an imaginary world as real as history and as marvelous as legend. Sire Galan has forbidden his servant and lover Firethorn to follow him to war, but she disobeys, and sets sail with the army of Corymb to the land of Incus. During the crossing, Firethorn is struck by lightning. She regains consciousness to find her speech garbled and her memory in tatters. Despite her injuries, others see her as blessed, for she has survived the touch of a god, Wildfire. Priests and soldiers search her nonsensical utterances for hidden prophecies. In the aftermath of battle, Firethorn is captured by the defeated king of Incus. He takes refuge in the kingdom where Firethorn was born, a place she remembered only in dreams. There, a world away from Galan, she discovers not only the land and language she was born to, but a life of unexpected luxury and power. But this privilege has a high cost, one which Firethorn may not be able to bear. less