Diana L. Paxson – författare

The four jewels of power had been created by a priestess in the days when the Covenant between the people and the Guardian of the land had been threatened. The heirs of her line held the Jewels - one of each of the sovereign elements - and through them, ruled Westria. In the sixth century of the Covenant, the Estates of Westria petitioned the King to marry, so that he might have an heir. So the King and his companions set out to find a Lady for Westria - a woman who would become both the mistress of his heart and the Mistress of the Jewels.

The kingdom of Westria rejoices. At last King Jehan has found his bride, a Queen to be Mistress of the Jewels and wield their magical power over the elements. But little does the young and gentle Queen Faris know of the treachery and jealousy that festers in the Westrian court. Being Mistress of the Jewels is a dangerous task, and a resentful sorcerer at court threatens to take away not only her power, but the life of her King. As Jehan lies gravely ill, Queen Faris must battle Westria''s darkest threat since the Cataclysm as chaos descends upon the kingdom.

Once he had been Farin of Hawkcrest Hold. Then he had been known as Farin Harper, Knight of Westria. Now he is simply Silverhair the Wanderer. Protected only by his sword, his harp and his songs, pursued by a powerful enemy, the path he must tread leads among goddesses and ghosts, man-monsters, madness and shape-shifters, through the palaces of royalty and the tents of ragged nomads. Yet his goal remains unseen, elusive, a mystery beyond solution. He seeks his beloved sister and her son, the heir to the throne of Westria, and they have vanished without a trace.

Caolin, the royal traitor who once nearly destroyed Westria has risen again on Red Mountain. Infinitely more powerful than before, now he is the Wolfmaster, the Lord who wields the fear at the heart of the Universe. And the weapons to stop him - the Jewels of Power - are lost to the world, while Westria, leaderless for a generation, drifts toward doom. One hope remains. Julian - the lost son of King Jehan and Queen Faris - is alive. But Julian is untrained, untested, his claim to the Crown disputed. To prove his birthright, Julin must seek the support of the unearthly Guardians of Westria and search out the first Jewel of Power: the Earthstone.