Blood and Memory: The Quickening Book Two (The Quickening, 2) - Softcover

McIntosh, Fiona

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060747587 ISBN 13: 9780060747589

Publisher: Harper Voyager, 2005

Synopsis

To save two kingdoms from a despot's rule, one man must journey into the unknown, seeking answers to the strange and powerful secret that so plagues him.

Wyl Thirsk, loyal soldier of Morgravia, has seen his best friend slain, his sister tortured, and his mentor sent to certain death, all at the hands of his sovereign, the cruel and manipulative King Celimus. Now Celimus, believing himself to be rid of the "moral constraints" of the Thirsk influence, has turned his greedy eye to expansion ... and Morgravia's neighboring kingdom, ruled by the spirited but inexperienced Queen Valentyna. As Celimus pressures Valentyna into a doomed political marriage, Wyl endeavors desperately to preserve both the honor of his country and the freedom of the woman he loves.

But fate has other plans for him. Despite his friends and loved ones becoming increasingly tangled in the evil machinations of King Celimus, though war with the dread Northern Kingdom appears imminent and Valentyna is poised to succumb to Morgravia's oily rule, Wyl must leave behind all he knows and cares about and travel into the land from which none return, seeking out the bestower of Myrren's sinister gift.

About this title

About the Author

Fiona McIntosh was raised in the U.K. but left London to explore the world and found herself in Australia, where she fell in love with the country and one person in particular. She has since roamed the planet for her work in the travel industry but now writes full-time and continues to draw inspiration from her travels. McIntosh lives with her husband and teenage sons, splitting her time between city life in South Australia and the wilderness of Tasmania.

From the Back Cover

To save two kingdoms from a despot's rule, one man must journey into the unknown, seeking answers to the strange and powerful secret that so plagues him.

Wyl Thirsk, loyal soldier of Morgravia, has seen his best friend slain, his sister tortured, and his mentor sent to certain death, all at the hands of his sovereign, the cruel and manipulative King Celimus. Now Celimus, believing himself to be rid of the "moral constraints" of the Thirsk influence, has turned his greedy eye to expansion ... and Morgravia's neighboring kingdom, ruled by the spirited but inexperienced Queen Valentyna. As Celimus pressures Valentyna into a doomed political marriage, Wyl endeavors desperately to preserve both the honor of his country and the freedom of the woman he loves.

But fate has other plans for him. Despite his friends and loved ones becoming increasingly tangled in the evil machinations of King Celimus, though war with the dread Northern Kingdom appears imminent and Valentyna is poised to succumb to Morgravia's oily rule, Wyl must leave behind all he knows and cares about and travel into the land from which none return, seeking out the bestower of Myrren's sinister gift.

Reviews

In this enchanting sequel to Australian author McIntosh's fantasy Myrren's Gift, young Wyl Thirsk finds to his surprise that the "gift" the condemned witch Myrren granted him in the first book wasn't just a one-shot deal—every time he "dies" he takes on the outward appearance of his murderer. Worse yet, the gift has its own goals, chiefly to kill tyrannical King Celimus and put Wyl in Celimus's place as the rightful ruler of Morgravia. Trapped in an ever-growing number of different bodies, Wyl is desperate to stop the gift from continuing its inevitable progress toward King Celimus. Yet the more Wyl learns about Celimus, the more convinced he is that the evil king must die. Despite this being the middle of a trilogy, McIntosh manages to sustain suspense while deftly handling a large cast of characters and an intricate plot.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060747587
• ISBN 13: 9780060747589
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 544