Firebrand

Britain packs her exciting sixth Green Rider epic fantasy (after Mirror Sight) with new perils for her heroine, Karigan G’ladheon. Karigan has returned from a future in which her beloved Sacordia has been overrun by the forces of evil. She’s wounded and longing for Cade Harlowe, the love that she found in the future. As she recuperates in the castle of Sacor City, winter there does not keep events from unfolding. Her old friend Estral Andovian arrives unexpectedly, looking for help to find her missing father, the Golden Guardian, official keeper of the kingdom’s lore and culture. Before the weather breaks, the castle is attacked by a powerful ice elemental sent by Grandmother, the necromancer leader of the Second Empire, foe of both Sacordia and Eletia. A party of the mysterious Eletians invites Karigan to join a mission to find the p’ehdrose, ancient allies who have disappeared from the world. Estral comes along so that she may search for her father as they travel. Old enemies and unexpected comrades in arms await Karigan and her companions as they journey north. Despite its heft, the pages fly by in this dramatic tale. (Mar.)