Bridei Chronicles – serie

In the mid 6th century the Pictish kingdom in northern Britain is under threat from the Gaels and the Christian faith, which leaves the leaders of the northern realm struggling to maintain their ancient traditions.All hope rests on the shoulders of young Bridei, a little-known son of the royal line, who is seen as the perfect candidate for future kingship. At his remote forest home of Pitnochie, Broichan, a powerful druid, sets about training the boy in the ways of the ancients and in the all-important preparation to be a leader of men.But Broichan has not allowed for the Good Folk, inhabitants of the ancient forests of Fortriu and well-known workers of tricky magic. When Bridei discovers a strange baby girl abandoned on Broichan's doorstep in the chill of the winter solstice, he takes her into the house. And the druid has to realise that there is one unpredictable power at work that may be too strong for him to control and could become the death of his dreams.

The kingdom of Fortriu has enjoyed five years of peace since Bridei came to the throne. Now the king is preparing for the long-awaited war that he hopes will see the Gaelic invaders driven from the west forever. The princess Ana, a hostage of Fortriu since childhood, is sent north to make a strategic marriage with a chieftain she has never met – and with it gain an ally on whom Bridei’s victory relies. Her escort is led by a man she despises: the enigmatic Faolan, Bridei’s assassin and spy.The expedition is ill-fated, and when Ana arrives at the chieftain Alpin’s stronghold in the mysterious Briar Wood, she is uneasy. This is a place full of secrets. When Ana discovers a prisoner kept within the bleakest of confinement, she is met with a conspiracy of silence. Faolan, tortured by an impossible love, walks a delicate path between loyalty and betrayal. . .‘Juliet Marillier is among the most skilled of fantasy writers’ Sara Douglass

Sent home to Ireland on a secret mission for King Bridei of Fortriu, Faolan must first deliver the news of a brave warrior's death. Unexpectedly, Bridei's chief assassin and spy also finds himself facing the demons of his family's dark past. By the time he tracks down the powerful Christian cleric who may be a threat to Bridei's pagan kingdom, Faolan has become responsible for a child, a dog and Eile, a troubled, volatile young woman.For Eile, the journey to Fortriu is confronting. Accustomed to a life of deprivation and struggle, she finds herself facing an unfamiliar world, full of new lessons. For her, the hardest challenge of all will be learning to trust.At Bridei's court in White Hill, disturbing news from the neighbouring kingdom of Circinn prompts the king to call his chieftains to council. But after the disappearance of Bridei's closest adviser and the tragic death of a young maid, the threat posed by the encroaching influence of Christianity appears to be the least of the dangers at hand . . .