The Lyre Thief

March 21, 2016
Fallon's trilogy launch opens 10 years after the events previously recounted in the Hythrun Chronicles, in a land where dangerous intrigues are always stirring and a royal case of switched identities heralds the renewal of old enmities. Princess Rakaia of Fardohnya is desperate to escape the court before her father, King Hablet, learns she isn't his daughter. She has agreed to marry the elderly lord of distant Highcastleâbut she has no intention of going through with it. Instead, she convinces her stepsister, Charisee, to switch places with her. Their risky masquerade puts them both in the way of larger forces: the God of Liars takes a special interest in Charisee, and Rakaia falls in love with the thief whose last job has left both humans and gods scrambling. Fallon skillfully cranks up the tension, building a taut web of interlocking schemes, plots, and shady politics. With its lively cast of characters, conflicting motivations, and a bit of romance, Fallon's latest Hythrun novel will entertain new readers and returning fans.

March 15, 2016

Princess and slave half sisters switch identities to escape their father's harem and attract the attention of gods along the way. Fallon returns to the world of "The Hythrun Chronicles" in the first volume of a new trilogy.--KC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2016
Fallon returns to the world of her best-selling Hythrun Chronicles with this, the first in a new, related trilogy that picks up 10 years after Demon Child R'shiel killed the god Xaphista. Rakaia, Princess of Fardohnya and sister of Adrina Wolfblade, has been promised in marriage to an elderly Hythrun lord. To avoid her fate, she trades places with her half-sister Charisee and eventually finds herself traveling with the charismatic Mica the Minstrel. Mica, longtime prisoner of the God of Music, escaped and stole a golden lyre that allows him to control people through the power of song. This theft also means that the Covenant, which brought the magical Harshini into being, is in peril. Despite a vast cast of characters, readers new to the series should not be overwhelmed, as Fallon includes plenty of backstory (and a handy character list) in this mix of political intrigue, romance, wry humor, and revenge. The fast-paced plot will have readers looking forward to the rest of the War of the Gods trilogy. Recommended for epic-fantasy readers who enjoy Sara Douglass, Kate Elliott, or David Eddings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)