Book Review: The Tir Alainn Trilgoy Book III: The House of Gaian SPOILERS!

In October 2003, Anne Bishop returned to finish off the Tir Alainn Trilogy with one heckuva finale. This 420 page novel covers only a couple of months overall, but it has a lot happening and that is what makes it the most fascinating book in the entire series. Synopsis: It began as a witch-hunt. But the Master Inquisitor's plans to eliminate all traces of female power in the world have expanded to crushing the Sylvalan barons who oppose him--and to destroying the wellspring of magic in the Mother's Hills. Faced with this evil, humans, witches, and the Fae become uneasy allies. But even together, they aren't strong enough to stand against the armies the Inquisitors are gathering. So they look for help from their last possible ally. The House of Gaian. The reclusive witches who rule the Mother's Hills. The witches powerful enough to create a world--or to destroy one... And the witches' long-held creed "Do no harm" is about to give way to a more important one: Survive.

Ashk--the Green Lady of the Forest and Hunter, trains Neall in the ways of a Lord of the Forest. Morag--the Gatherer of Souls--questions whether she should've ended it back in Brightwood and killed the Master Inquisitor when she had the chance. Padrick tells the clan that because of Liam's absence and passionate speech, the vote to ultimately subject all women to become controlled by men has failed and that the Inquisitors have declared war. Gwynith, a friend of Ashk's and a Lady of the Moon, alerts Ashk to the fact that Dianna's power is waning and wants to be there when the next one is chosen. In the Mother's Hills, Selena and her sister Rhyann leave for Brightwood. Breanna, with Falco and Liam, meet Lucian who demands that Falco kidnap one of the witches living in Willowsbrook and take her to Ridgeley so Dianna can recover. Breanna says no with an arrow and tells him to get off her property and she doesn't care who he is. Liam escort Lucian back to the edge of town, an argument breaks out in which Liam says that the Fae are the Mother's spoiled children and demands to know why there aren't any witches at Brightwood. While Ashk and company leave for Willowsbrook, Adolfo finishes his torture and implied rape of a female Fae, trying to create the ultimate nighthunter. Selena arrives in time for the changing of the Moon's power. She dances for the Mother and wins the power from Dianna, who tries to kill Selena--now the Huntress and Lady of the Moon--in anger and hatred. She wounds Dianna and shows the rest what they're now dealing with: the Queen of the Witches, something that the Fae have also forgotten. Gwynith pledges her loyalty to Selena and lets her know that the Hunter is heading for Willowsbrook. Meanwhile, others have started arriving in Willowsbrook to prepare for the fight that has broken out in the north. Adolfo orders Ubel to take ten warships to the north and blockade the ports. In Tir Alainn, Lucian demands that Selena give her power back to his sister or that she force a witch to live at Brightwood; Selena threatens to cut Tir Alainn off from the rest of the living world by taking away the shining roads should any of the Fae try and force a witch to leave if they say no. Ashk senses something wrong with Morag and wants to know what it is and instead of answering, Morag makes her promise to do what needs to be done should she fail. Ashk agrees.

On Selkie Island, Jenny--the sister of Mihail--meets with the Lord of the Selkies so she can get firsthand reports of her brother returning with the family safely. Because Selena and Ashk are making the same demands, the rest of the Fae start helping out the humans and witches. Mihail and his family try to flee but Ubel's blockade holds them captive until Mihail starts a fire that blows up a good bit of the Inquisitor ships. He flees with Ubel on his trail. Lucian corners Aiden and uses magic to reveal that Ari's alive and well; in anger, Lucian burns Aiden's hands and runs Bretonwood with Morag hot on his heels, ready to kill Lucian. A foolish Inquisitor attacks Willowsbrook early and dies, but the men under the barons surrender as they refuse to follow them any longer (they did refuse before but were always hanged) when Selena and Gwynith arrive. Liam, Donovan and Varden figure out that Adolfo is a Fae offspring and is seeking revenge, even though Adolfo doesn't know his true parentage. Rhyann meets up with Ashk's group and heals Aiden. During a patrol, Selena and Liam get to know each other and start to become lovers, which is good for Falco and Breanna as they no longer have to endure Liam's remarks over them being lovers. Ubel bears down on Mihail when a bitch of a storm provided by Jenny arrives and shreds the Inquisitor ships to mulch while Sweet Selkie and the other fleeing ships arrive at Selkie Island intact. Ubel, the only survivor, is taken prisoner. Ashk and her party with enough Fae, Sons and Daughters of the House of Gaian, and humans arrive to help defend. Morag finally arrives in Bretonwood, a few minutes after Lucian does and sees him trying to force Ari to leave but Neall and Merle hold him off. Lucian wounds them and Ari, in anger, erects a circle of fire around Lucian. Before it can kill him, Morag rips Lucian's spirit from his body and drags him kicking and screaming to the Shadowed Veil and shoves him through it. Breanna finds her grandmother dead, poisoned by Jean who is jealous of Breanna because all the men talk and pay attention to her but not Jean. Jean runs away and is kidnapped by an Inquisitor who turns her over to Adolfo who turns her into a nighthunter. Ashk teases Selena about changing into her shadow hound form and Liam petting her in his room when Fiona tells them that Jean is missing.

Still in Bretonwood, Morag gets wind of Ubel being held in custody and his outrageous demands. She meets with him and his surviving underlings and rips their souls out of their bodies and leaves them there, ordering the bodies to be left where they fell. Adolfo releases his new nighthunters to slaughter Liam and anyone in Willowsbrook who stands in his way. Morphia puts them to sleep while the defenders attack, but Keely and the dog Idjit are killed. Ashk and Selena blanket the town in fog after the Inquisitors use catapults to try and bomb them out. Morphia tells Ashk that something evil will come out in the fog. Adolfo holds Rory as captive and is about to perform the nighthunter spell on him when Morag interrupts the whole thing. As a result, the spell backlashes onto Morag and Adolfo, turning them both into nighthunters at a fast pace. Breanna warns Ashk and Selena what Morag has become and also learn that the fighting has stopped everywhere, but Adolfo and his Inquisitors are still set on killing everyone at Willowsbrook and are marching there. The battle is on and Morag comes charging out, intent on killing. The Huntress and the Hunter demand that Adolfo show himself. He does and they send him to a special kind of hell, one that he created to inspire the men to join him. He becomes a nighthunter entirely and sets out eating and killing his Inquisitors. Ashk finds Morag who says she just wants to go home. Ashk kills her, much to Morphia's anger and shouting, and the nighthunter persona is lifted away and Ashk tells Morag not to stay away too long. As a spirit, Morag leads the dead to the Shadowed Veil. Morphia leaves the following day, unable to look at Ashk. Ashk hears that Ari's given birth to a healthy boy and the Crones arrive and redraw the boundaries of everyone, including the Fae's beliefs. Everyone parts ways with Falco staying with Breanna so she won't be alone; Selena also staying with Breanna so she doesn't intrude into Liam's home when his mother and youngest sister are also living there, but that doesn't mean they won't court; and Ashk points out to Aiden and Lyrra that when Ari has a baby daughter and looks into her eyes, she'll see Morag looking back. In the end, Aiden and Lyrra move to a small village where they're known for their dancing horse.

All in all, one hell of a fast paced novel that leaves plenty of room for character development and wraps up all the loose threads. Anne Bishop has mastered the fantasy world well that anyone picking up any of her books would instantly recognize it as a masterful piece of fantasy.

Book Review: Tir Alainn Trilogy Book 2: Shadows and Light SPOILERS!

Sorry for being away for so long, but with term ending and a recent attack of allergies (it is spring time you know), I've returned to crank out a few reviews of some books I've just finished reading and old books sitting on my shelf. In Octorber 2002, Anne Bishop returned to the vivid landscape of Tir Alainn with her second novel in the trilogy Shadows and Light. Synopsis: Ever since the slaughter of the witches, the Fae--who should be shielding their long-lost cousins from danger--have ignored the needs of the rest of the world. And shadows are again gathering in the eastern villages--dark, potent shadows that threaten the lives of every witch, woman, and Fae. Only three Fae can stand against the growing madness and help prevent more bloodshed--the Bard, the Muse, and the Gatherer of Souls. Aiden, the Bard, knows how desparately the world depends on the Fae's protection. But the Fae refuse to heed his warnings about the wickedness lurking amid the trees. Now Aiden and his one true love--Lyrra, the Muse--must embark on a perilous journey to find the one Fae who can convince the rest to leave their secure perches to save the witches and mortals. Because if the Fae don't act soon, no one will survive....

The novel opens with Aiden and Lyrra travelling through Sylvalan countryside, on their way to the western villages of Sylvalan to seek out the Hunter, the Green Lord, to talk some sense into Lucian and Dianna who are refusing and blackballing the rest of the Fae against the fact that the witches are the Pillars of the World and that without them, Tir Alainn wouldn't exist. Aiden and Lyrra handfast while on their journey, becoming husband and wife. They figure out what Morag told them weeks ago, that "Ari is gone" but not dead. The Baron of Willsobrook, Liam, learns from his mother that the witches behind the house are, in fact, related to him and that the witch called Breanna, is his half-sister, sired by his deceased adulture of a father. His mother also tells him about what the Inquistors are and what the eastern barons decree is best for women. Liam is disgusted and gets to know Breanna as a friend and becomes overprotective like an older brother would be. Meanwhile, in Breton, Morag is learning how to garden. She's given Ari and Neall her former riding stallion, a black horse. Ashk, the local Lady of the Forest, visits and tries to train Neall in the ways of a Lord of the Woods. Meanwhile, Adolfo talks with his lieutenant, Ubel, to arrange for the death of all the witches to kill the Fae because they embarrassed him. Lyrra and Aiden flee from nighthunters and run into Morphia, Morag's sister, who tells them she's heading south to look for her sister in the western Clans. Liam informs his mother that he's leaving to go to the baron's council meeting. Baron Padrick stops by Ashk's place so she can look after their kids while he attends the baron's council meeting.

In Willowsbrook, Aiden and Lyrra meet Breanna and learn that the witches are descended from the House of Gaian and really are the Mother's Daughters while the Fae are the Mother's Children--and as has been noted, spoiled children at that. Aiden runs into an angry Lucian in Tir Alainn and Falco tells Lyrra how horrible Dianna's been treating everyone and that he wants to get to know witches better. In the baron's council meeting, Liam interrupts and tells the eastern barons how sick he is at how they've treated all women and is poisoned by Ubel. Padrick rescues him and they head to Willowsbrook. Adolfo orders Padrick's death. Aiden is almost killed when the Fae "forget" to warn him and Lyrra that one of the bridges is severly weak. Falco helps rescue him and they go to Willowsbrook where Breanna and her family help take care of them and warn them about causing harm if they intend to cross the Mother's Hills. Morag wants a sailor, Mihail, to move his family to the western coast because she senses a hint that death is whispering. Morphia finds her sister in Breton and alerts them about Aiden and Lyrra travelling to seek out the Hunter. Rory, a cousin of Breanna, asks Breanna if Liam can be trusted because of what the eastern barons are doing to the women. Breanna says he can be trusted and wonders why Liam hasn't returned home yet. Liam arrives with Padrick and encounters a hostile Rory. Liam tells Breanna that he was poisoned for speakin against the eastern barons.

The Inquisitors, led by Ubel, demand that Liam stand down and surrender. Aiden can't get his horse, Minstrel to move and uses music to get him to trot, something that the humans find amusing. Morag, Ashk and a few others find some nighthunters present over a wounded child and a woman. The child gets away but not the woman. A deer (the Hunter) helped defend the child. Morag, after the Hunter dies, helps him to the Shadowed Veil. Ashk, who had defeated her grandfather (the Hunter) long ago but spared his life. She is now the Hunter. The Inquisitors attack with their nighthunters. Keely dies and so do the Inquisitors, but Ubel survives and flees. It turns out that Liam has repressed magic in the branch of Fire. Breanna scolds Falco in his hawk form for nearly dying in the fight against the nighthunters and wants to know why. He mentions not being able to save a witch in time and he was curious to see how humans lived and was angered over the rest of the Fae treating witches like they're slaves. Breanna offers him a place to stay. Ubel reports to Adolfo who decides that war is necessary. Aiden and Lyrra meet Ashk and tell her that Lucian and Dianna refuse to help and have told the Fae to force the witches to stay at the Old Places while they reap the benefits without offering anything else in return. Morag sees Aiden and Lyrra and tells Ari and Neall who would love to see them again. Morag apologies for running out on Aiden and Lyrra earlier and tells them that Air and Neall are alive. Morag tells Aiden and Lyrra that Ashk is the Hunter. The novel ends with Ashk saying that it's time the Fae returned to the world.

All in all, a good second entry in a "lavishly sensual" (Library Journal) trilogy. Great character arcs and wonderful prose that carries through the novel and Bishop's work. A must read for any fan of fantasy or Anne Bishop admirer.

Book Review: Tir Alainn Trilogy Book One: Pillars of the World SPOILERS!

Published in October 2001, during the midst of her Black Jewels series, Anne Bishop began another story about witches and fantasy, but this time, set in a different world and place than her bestselling series. Synopsis: The trees whisper of danger... The youngest in a long line of witches, Ari senses that things are changing--changing for the worse. For generations, her kin have tended the Old Places, keeping the land safe and fertile. But with the Summer Moon, the mood of her neighbors has soured. And Ari is no longer safe. The Fae have long ignored what occurs in the mortal world, passing through on their shadowy roads only long enough to amuse themselves. But the roads are slowly disappearing, leaving the Fae Clans isolated and alone. Where harmony between the spiritual and the natural has always reigned, a dissonant chord now rings in the ears of both Fae and mortal. And when murmurs of a witch-hunt hum through the town, some begin to wonder if the different omens are notes in the same tune. And all they have to guide them is a passing reference to something called the Pillars of the World....

The novel opens with Dianna, the Fae Lady of the Moon and Huntress, observing with Lyrra, the Muse, and Aiden, the Bard, that the shining roads from Tir Alainn are disappearing. They note that the disappearances have something to do with the wiccanfae (what the Fae believe to be evil people and witches) dying or leaving the Old Places and something called the Pillar of the World. In the eastern part of Sylvalan, the Master Inquisitor, Adolfo, sees to the death of a witch, something that gives him great pleasure. As he puts it, he's cleansing the land and men of the evil influences of women and has devised ways to make them "obedient" (read: subservient). In the human village of Ridgeley, Ari is cajoled into buying a magicked candy that'll bring whatever desires she wants. She hopes for a man who is strong, kind, and who can accept her for herself. Dianna notes that her brother, Lucian, the Fae Lord of Fire and Lightbringer, is restless as are most of the other Fae men. Morag, Death's Mistress and the Gatherer, notices all the spirits of the dead witches and resolves to find answers. Ari, walking home, comes across a lone black horse (Lucian in disguise) and gives him the magicked candy. He follows her home. Neall, a friend of Ari's, notices his cousin Royce demanding that Ari part her legs for him. Neall does nothing as the Huntress rides by and scares Royce off. Dianna sees how happier Lucian is and urges him to get to know Ari better so they can find out just why the shining roads disappear when a witch dies. Over the next several weeks/months (the novel's not that clear) Dianna, Lyrra, Aiden and Lucian come to view her as a friend; Lucian thinks of her as a lover, nothing more. Adolfo meets with the head of Royce's family and forms a plan to capture and torture Ari into confessing how evil she is so he can justify executing her. Morag talks to Ahern, the Lord of the Horses, and they try and stop Adolfo. Meanwhile, Dianna, Lyrra, Aiden, Lucian and Falco--the Lord of the Hawks--learn from Ari just how powerful the witches are and that they are the Pillars of the World. Ari asks Lucian if he can give her what her heart wants instead of trinkets; he can't and she decides that Neall can offer everything Lucian can't/won't. Adolfo takes some of his Inquisitors and decides the time is right. During the fight, Adolfo captures Ari and Neall, with the help of Ahern and Morag, gets her out of Brightwood but at the cost of Ahern's life. Morag tells Lucian and the others that "she's gone." Lucian and Dianna are pissed but agree that Dianna will take care of Ari's place to maintain the shining road. In anger, they banish Morag from all the Fae Clans, something that the Fae in the west have no intention of listening to because Lucian and Dianna are whining like children who've gotten their noses bloodied in far too long. Lyrra leaves Dianna to take care of the Old Place since Dianna took until the next Spring to return from Tir Alainn. In the end, Morag travels to the western city of Brenton and meets Ari and Neall who offer her a place in their clan. Morag accepts.

A well written fantasy novel, and, as SF Site said "Anne Bishop's novels are genuine gems of fantasy much to be prized." Her novels get better with each reading. It's such a shame that the Tir Alainn trilogy was only three novels. It seems like it has more to tell.