The Lady of the Sorrows (The Bitterbynde Trilogy)

A courageous maiden searches for her forgotten history as her king wages desperate war on malevolent creatures known as the unseelie, who are plotting the destruction of all humankind The newly named Lady of the Sorrows must carry important tidings to the King-Emperor of Caermelor. In her heart she longs to encounter the king’s ranger Thorn, a dark-haired warrior of bewitching beauty and unsurpassed skill. But upon reaching the royal court, she learns that the ruler and his men have gone to war against the forces of wickedness threatening the mortal realms. As the lady awaits their return, a dreadful suspicion unfolds: The brutal Lord Huon and his monstrous Wild Hunt are attacking again and again. Is she the target they seek?   The 2nd book in the acclaimed Bitterbynde Trilogy, The Lady of the Sorrows confirms author Cecilia Dart-Thornton’s standing as a bold, fresh, and vitally important voice in fantasy fiction. Ingeniously weaving the ancient legends and folklore of the British Isles into a rich and colorful tapestry, she has created an epic work of the imagination, a uniquely unforgettable heroine, and a fantasy adventure for the ages.

From Publishers Weekly

In this second book of the Bitterbynde trilogy (after 2001's The Ill-Made Mute), Dart-Thornton clarifies a number of the first volume's mysteries and with a defter hand sets the story moving briskly through the medieval-like landscape of Erith. Imrhien has been cured of her muteness and her facial disfigurement, but she hasn't yet overcome the amnesia that also plagued her in book one. Deciding she must tell the King-Emperor of Erith about the treasure she has found, Imrhien makes her way to court and by sheer good luck though her restored beauty is also a big help catches the ear of a faithful minister of the king who believes her story about hidden riches. After a period of indulging in court life, Imrhien feels the pull to once again travel and try to discover why she can't remember her past. A series of adventures leads to revelations about part of Imrhien's past and yet these same revelations also point to more paradoxes, setting the stage for the final volume. Often second books in fantasy trilogies just trudge along. In this case, the author has peppered the plot with folklore and tall tales that lend plenty of interest, even if they have little to do with the immediate quest. Hopefully, Dart-Thornton will pattern the concluding volume in the series on the second and not the first. While the jacket art depicting courtiers against a castle backdrop will help to draw historical romance readers, it gives no hint that the novel is full of mythical creatures and fair folk sure to appeal to fantasy fans. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Healed of her scars and given back her voice, the former mute known as Imrhien now carries an important message to the King-Emperor of Caermelor. Disguised as a noble to gain admission to court society, Imrhien finds that the emperor has embarked on a war against a hostile army of unseelie creatures (malevolent fairies) bent on the destruction of humankind. Her eventual meeting with the emperor proves both surprising and bittersweet, for as she finds her heart's desire, Imrhien also discovers that she is the target of the unseelie hordes. The sequel to The Ill-Made Mute continues the adventures of a resourceful heroine as she makes her way through a world filled with magic and treachery. Dart-Thornton flavors her saga with retellings of traditional folktales and legends. For most fantasy collections.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Cecilia Dart-Thornton is the author of numerous bestselling fantasy novels, notably the Bitterbynde Trilogy, which includes The Ill-Made Mute, The Lady of the Sorrows, and The Battle of Evernight. The daughter of an architect and an academic, Dart-Thornton holds a bachelor of arts degree and a post-graduate diploma of education from Monash University. Having started out as a schoolteacher, she became a full-time writer in 2000, after her work was discovered on the Internet and brought to print by a New York publishing house. She is a strong supporter of animal rights and her interests include music, the fine arts‚—particularly Pre-Raphaelite paintings—and edible gardening. Visit her online at www.dartthornton.com and www.leavesofgrasspress.com.

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