A young heroine and her goshawk companion face wizards and gods in the first of a trilogy: “I thoroughly enjoyed Path of Fate” (Kristen Britain).
Orphaned by her mother and passed from family to family in the village of Kallas in the land of Kodu Riik, Reisil feels as if she will never truly belong. But her training as a tark, or healer, offers her the promise of acceptance by the townsfolk, and as her talents emerge, it appears she will finally be able to hold her head high.
But fate has another path in store: A goshawk named Saljane swoops into her life, and Reisil discovers that she is able to communicate telepathically with the animal. This is an undeniable sign that Reisil has been chosen by Lady Amiya, the goddess of Kodu Riik, to become an ahalad-kaaslane—a guardian of the land who must live a life of constant travel and forgo the very bonds of family and community the girl healer so desires.
Though the role of ahalad-kaaslane is a noble one, Reisil cannot bear the thought of losing the ties with society she has worked so hard to form. She rejects the Lady’s appointment, ignoring the goshawk no matter how persistently it follows her. But when a kidnapping plot breaks a treaty with the neighboring country of Patverseme, Reisil realizes the sentient bird of prey is the only creature capable of tracking the traitors down and saving Kodu Riik from the evils of war. Reluctantly, Reisil accepts her destiny as an ahalad-kaaslane, and embarks on a dangerous pursuit of the kidnappers—and a perilous trek of self-discovery—in order to save two kingdoms.
A feminist fantasy of honor and perseverance that features a special soul-to-soul bond with a blessed animal, Path of Fate was nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award.
“Plausible, engrossing characters, a well-designed world, and a well-realized plot.” —Booklist
“What’s better than a story about a stubborn, likable heroine thrust into events fraught with danger, wizards, and gods? Well, all of the above, plus a goshawk. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed Path of Fate by the talented Diana Pharaoh Francis and look forward to more of the adventures of Reisil and her goshawk, Saljane.” —Kristen Britain, bestselling author of Green Rider
“In this delightful debut, Diana Pharaoh Francis caught me with a compelling story, intrigued me with the magic of her ahalad-kaaslane, and swept me away with her masterful feel for the natural world.” —Carol Berg, critically acclaimed author of Restoration
Description:
A young heroine and her goshawk companion face wizards and gods in the first of a trilogy: “I thoroughly enjoyed Path of Fate” (Kristen Britain).
Orphaned by her mother and passed from family to family in the village of Kallas in the land of Kodu Riik, Reisil feels as if she will never truly belong. But her training as a tark, or healer, offers her the promise of acceptance by the townsfolk, and as her talents emerge, it appears she will finally be able to hold her head high.
But fate has another path in store: A goshawk named Saljane swoops into her life, and Reisil discovers that she is able to communicate telepathically with the animal. This is an undeniable sign that Reisil has been chosen by Lady Amiya, the goddess of Kodu Riik, to become an ahalad-kaaslane—a guardian of the land who must live a life of constant travel and forgo the very bonds of family and community the girl healer so desires.
Though the role of ahalad-kaaslane is a noble one, Reisil cannot bear the thought of losing the ties with society she has worked so hard to form. She rejects the Lady’s appointment, ignoring the goshawk no matter how persistently it follows her. But when a kidnapping plot breaks a treaty with the neighboring country of Patverseme, Reisil realizes the sentient bird of prey is the only creature capable of tracking the traitors down and saving Kodu Riik from the evils of war. Reluctantly, Reisil accepts her destiny as an ahalad-kaaslane, and embarks on a dangerous pursuit of the kidnappers—and a perilous trek of self-discovery—in order to save two kingdoms.
A feminist fantasy of honor and perseverance that features a special soul-to-soul bond with a blessed animal, Path of Fate was nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award.
**
From Booklist
This pleasant read by a new writer tells the story of Reisil. Once an orphan, taunted by the other children in her village, she is now a newly minted healer, hoping to find a secure place in a world that has known sporadic fighting for years. But the lady she serves chooses her to be ahalad-kaaslane, or a wandering judge-warrior-explorer bound through a companion animal to no one but the lady. Afraid of losing her newly won security to go adventuring, Reisil refuses the honor and the companion goshawk. She picks a bad time, however. The leaders of the warring lands have agreed to a truce as a preliminary to ending the war, but many who have suffered on both sides regard the truce as a betrayal. Moreover, Reisil's decision threatens the truce. Plausible, engrossing characters, a well-designed world, and a well-realized plot distinguish Francis' debut. Frieda Murray
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Review
“Plausible, engrossing characters, a well-designed world, and a well-realized plot.” —Booklist
“What’s better than a story about a stubborn, likable heroine thrust into events fraught with danger, wizards, and gods? Well, all of the above, plus a goshawk. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed Path of Fate by the talented Diana Pharaoh Francis and look forward to more of the adventures of Reisil and her goshawk, Saljane.” —Kristen Britain, bestselling author of Green Rider
“In this delightful debut, Diana Pharaoh Francis caught me with a compelling story, intrigued me with the magic of her ahalad-kaaslane, and swept me away with her masterful feel for the natural world.” —Carol Berg, critically acclaimed author of Restoration