"There is plenty of action and romance ..."
She heard the Call of the Mountain but Valeria's mother
refused to believe it because in one thousand years, only
men have answered the summons. Her mother warded her so
she could not use her magic but still Valeria found a way
to leave her home and head for the mountain where the gods
in the form of white stallions live. She travels with a
caravan and among their number is Euan Rohe, a Caletanni
barbarian being held hostage for the behavior of his
tribe. The barbarians do not want to be part of the
Aurelian Empire but for now Evan and his allies work in
the shadows, getting ready to make their move. Valeria pretends to be a boy while she takes the test to
see if she can be a Rider. The Ladies call her, the
stallions accept her but the men reject her once they find
out she is a female even though she is the most powerful
horse mage they have ever seen. First Rider Kerrec takes
her under his wing but both he and Valeria are kidnapped
by Euan and his allies. Valeria sacrifices herself to save
Kerrec but she doesn't believe she can betray the Empire
for the love of one man. Caitlin Brennan is a fantastic world builder who creates a
world where magic is an everyday occurrence. The white
stallions are able to work time and fate to see the
possible futures that may happen to the empire. The bond
between rider and stallion is comparable to that of dragon
and rider in Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. There is plenty
of action and romance in this spellbinding romantic
fantasy. Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 26, 2004
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 26, 2007
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