"A stunning conclusion to the wonderful trilogy"
Lady Avallyn le Severn, Priestess of the Bones and Princess
of the White Palace, has spent her entire 125 years of life
awaiting the fulfillment of a sacred prophecy that will
save the Earth from an ancient and deadly curse. Dharkkum
is the great living darkness which consumes all it comes in
contact with, leaving nothing but desolation behind. She is
supposed to combine her powers and abilities with those of
the foretold Prince of Time. They will set out together on
a dangerous journey to defeat their greatest enemy once and
for all. Her mission is to rescue a magical book from the
Lost Five, great and powerful warriors who became trapped
in the last great battle. They sacrificed themselves to
save the world, 10000 years ago in 12th century Wales. Morgan ab Kynan is a washed out drunken thief, who comes
from a long ago age, thrust forward in time by an accident
of fate. But was it really an accident? Or was it
predestined? He arrives in a time and place unlike
everything he knows, yet eerily familiar. He is permanently
scarred, both mentally and physically, from his last battle
with Dharkkum, in ancient Wales. During the battle he was
thrust into the time weir, created by the great golden
worms, guardians of time. He was cast forward in time,
surviving terror and wounds he thought were the end of him.
His only thoughts are to escape living nightmare only he
can see. Now he must take his place alongside Avallyn, so they can
meet their destiny. When first they meet, Avallyn is horrified at the man fate
has chosen to defeat the evil Dharkkum. Yet she is
inexplicably drawn to Morgan all the same. She must help
him overcome his weaknesses and his fears so they can
fulfill their destiny. They join forces in preparation for
their journey to the distant past and put an end to the
great darkness and nightmare. Their goals are tested by a
cruel villain from Morgan's past, who is partially consumed
and twisted by the very curse they are out to destroy. He
will stop at nothing, and will even follow them through
time, to get what he desires; and end to his living death
and Avallyn. Morgan and Avallyn are joined by a motley group of friends,
which includes a young warrior boy, an ancient priestess, a
powerful mage, some mysterious shapeshifters and fellow
timeriders, and a few of the Fae folk. There is even a pair
of legendary dragons, the only creatures who can destroy
Dharkkum for all eternity. Join Morgan and Avallyn on their
travels through time and their journey to an eternal love. Ms. McReynolds has spun a magical tale, a worthy conclusion
to her trilogy. Once again, she does not disappoint. This
is a beautiful tale of destiny and love intertwined, and
its ability to conquer all, even time itself. She weaves a
tale combining enchanting characters, who firmly entrench
themselves in the reader's heart, with a fanciful plot and
some shocking twists. This reviewer would have liked to see
the actual journey through time play a bigger role in the
story however. The story focused more on the attempt to
make it to the time weir than the actual timeriding of the
characters. Especially considering the name of the book.
The journey through time almost seems just tacked on to the
end. Past characters also make several appearances in this book,
mainly through flashbacks. All in all, an entirely
compelling read, the only big disappointment being that
this is the end of the story. This reviewer certainly hopes
Ms. McReynolds will write more fantasy romances like this
one. Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Posted August 19, 2001
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 19, 2006
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He's the last thing she expected — and she has waited for
him all her life! It was written that her prince would be
a mage, a warrior, and a saint. Instead he's a mercenary
thief
with a fondness for vice-filled dens
and off-world wine. How can the sacred prophecy be wrong —
or is there more to Morgan ab Kynan
than meets the eye? Lady Avallyn has little choice and no
time to ponder the possibilities of a mistake. She's the one
woman who can save a twelfth-century
mage whose demise turned the earth into a barren desert.
And only one man can take her back into
the past: the charismatic thief who may or may not be the
fated Prince of Time. But the reluctant thief and the
resolute princess are followed by a ruthless villain who
wants them
both dead. Morgan and Avallyn will need
more than skill, courage, and magic to survive in the
ancient past, where an even greater
danger awaits. They will need faith in each other and a
trust
born of a passion willing to sacrifice
everything — even life itself — for love....
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