Kingdom of Celieria and the Fading Lands

Ellysetta “Ellie” Baristani, daughter of a simple woodcarver, has always led a somewhat troubled life. At one time, she was so tortured by nightmares that her family believed her to be possessed by demons and considered submitting her for exorcism.

Having moved on to start anew in Celieria, Ellie’s life has not become easier, because she is not a simple girl. When Rainier vel’En Daris, King of the Fey and the Tairen Soul, connected to Ellie, he sensed his truemate, the one he must unite with or lose his own soul. He literally dropped out of the sky to claim her, and now, in the midst of many complications, they complete their courtship ritual. Once Ellie believed herself to be without any magic, but that is no longer true. That Ellie is a person of a vast and singular power becomes apparent, but will that be enough to save their future happiness when the agreements between Celieria and the Fey to keep out the evil Eld mages are dissolving, threatening the whole world?

Ellie begins to discover that being Rain’s truemate is a burden as well as a joy. To have him, she must leave all that she has known. Even worse, to reject him might mean Rain’s death. How can Ellie possibly choose between her family and her heart?

LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS is second in a series by C. L. Wilson; the first title is LORD OF THE FADING LANDS. I have not read the first title and found picking up the threads of the story difficult at first. As the tale develops, though, it takes on a life of its own. It is a compelling story with thrilling action. Ellie and Rain struggle to explore their love and adapt to new and difficult circumstances. They do not have the luxury of a lengthy courtship. One element most important to me is the strength of the female characters. Ellie does grow, not only into her power, but also into her womanhood, which is a power of another sort entirely. Finding a truemate from among humans is not something Rain would have chosen, but he grows quickly to love and treasure Ellie. The reader follows Rain as he treads this delicate balance between his courtship and diplomacy, trying to re-forge alliances that guard his borders. C. L. Wilson has created a lovely, complex world, which is much more than a simple romance. There is a large group of secondary characters -- human, fey, and Eld alike -- each with a place in this complex world. I would recommend reading LORD OF THE FADING LANDS first in order to better understand the story and characters, but these two titles are an excellent choice for your fall reading. They compare favorably with the DUNE series by Frank Herbert in complexity. It is my hope that we get a few more titles in this excellent series by C. L. Wilson.

Lisa Baca