Bright Spear Trilogy

Sometimes a fox is not a fox, and a man is not what he seems. When Lachlan, the golden prince of the faeries, is transformed into a fox and banished from the forest on the eve of his mother's funeral, the last creature he expects to seek help from is a human. But Sorcha Darrow is not so easily enchanted by the wily faerie. Only after discovering her father means to marry her to a wealthy Londoner does she decide to help him, seeking the power of a being even Lachlan is wary of: a kelpie. In finding one Sorcha hopes that she may just avoid her own dire fate in the process. With Sorcha's dreams being their only true form of communication, Lachlan has to race against time to break his curse and take his place as king before he's doomed to live as a fox forever. But someone else is after the throne, and may just use Sorcha's growing connection to Lachlan to reach it. *** The first book in the Bright Spear trilogy, Prince of Foxes is loosely based on the Celtic fairy tale of Gold-tree and Silver-tree, and features a cameo from Julian and Evie from The Tower Without a Door (Chronicles of Curses book 3). NOTE: Prince of Foxes is written in UK (British) English, not American English. *** Praise for Prince of Foxes: "The Prince of Foxes is as lushly filled with rich prose as any timeless classic. Hayley writes in a way that calls to mind the original fairy tales written hundreds of years ago..." Amazon.com reviewer "From the first page to the last, this is a captivating read." Amazon.com reviewer "I had no doubt I would lose myself in this book, and I can safely say it was everything I wanted." Amazon.co.uk reviewer

"What was so important that you had to call us here today, fox?" Murdoch demanded, though his voice was soft and gentle. For Sorcha's sake, Lachlan assumed, though given the kelpie's usage of his favourite insult fox he had to wonder what the point was of changing his tone. Either way, it didn't matter; Lachlan had to pose his request to Sorcha regardless of what Murdoch said or did over the next few, all-important minutes. Now that he was faced with what he had to ask, however, Lachlan found that he could not look at Sorcha at all. He straightened on the throne, smoothing a hand over his hair and hooking a finger inside the uncomfortably restrictive collar of his human shirt as his brain fumbled for the right words. "What I have to say - what I have to ask of you," he began, very slowly, "is no easy request. I am well aware of that. Yet I have thought on the matter at length over the past five years and find myself in a position where it would be detrimental to delay voicing my request any longer." Murdoch frowned, deeply suspicious, though Sorcha's previously sad expression changed in a moment to one of curiosity. She closed the gap between herself and the throne to rest a hand over Lachlan's. Her skin was icy cold, sending a shiver down his spine. But the way Sorcha looked at him was warm and familiar and tugged at Lachlan's heart, forcing his request out of his mouth before he could do anything to stop it. "Have my child." Sometimes protecting those we love means working with those we hate. Seven years ago Sorcha saved the life of Lachlan, Crown Prince of the Seelie Court, and became the object of affection for the kelpie, Murdoch, who sought to best him and destroy the court from within. Five years ago she saved them both from the wrath of the Unseelie king by giving up half her life. Now it's time to pay up. The last thing Sorcha wanted was an immortal life, but now she may not have a choice in the matter. For King Eirian wants nothing more than to rule over his Seelie brethren and take control of the kelpie's powers, and has no qualms about using the mortal woman they both love to do it. The final book in the acclaimed Bright Spear trilogy, King of Forever is loosely based on the Celtic folk tale Tam Lin, and the myth of Hades and Persephone. It also features cameos from Adrian Wolfe and Julian Thorne, the main protagonists from Big, Bad Mister Wolfe and The Tower Without a Door (Chronicles of Curses books 1 and 3). NOTE: King of Forever is written in UK (British) English, not American English. Praise for Prince of Foxes: "The Prince of Foxes is as lushly filled with rich prose as any timeless classic. Hayley writes in a way that calls to mind the original fairy tales written hundreds of years ago..." Amazon.com reviewer "From the first page to the last, this is a captivating read." Amazon.com reviewer "I had no doubt I would lose myself in this book, and I can safely say it was everything I wanted." Amazon.co.uk reviewer

Delve into the twisted, magical world of H. L. Macfarlane's Bright Spear trilogy, now compiled into a box set for the first time! Set in Regency-era Scotland along the beautiful shore of Loch Lomond, Prince of Foxes is based on the Scots tale of Gold Tree and Silver Tree, with Lord of Horses moving down to the dark streets of London and based on the tale of The Kelpie's Bride. King of Forever, the final story in the trilogy, is set in the faerie realm itself and is based on the tale of Tam Lin and the myth of Hades and Persephone. Fall in love with the series readers have described as delightful, compelling and enchanting. Inside this box set: *** Prince of Foxes Sometimes a fox is not a fox, and a man is not what he seems. When Lachlan, the golden Prince of Faeries, is transformed into a fox and banished from the forest on the eve of his mother's funeral, the last creature he expects to seek help from is a human. But Sorcha Darrow is not so easily enchanted by the wily faerie. Only after discovering her father means to marry her to a wealthy Londoner does she decide to help him, seeking the power of a being even Lachlan is wary of: a kelpie. In finding one Sorcha hopes that she may just avoid her own dire fate in the process. With Sorcha's dreams being their only true form of communication, Lachlan has to race against time to break his curse and take his place as king before he's doomed to live as a fox forever. But someone else is after the throne, and may just use Sorcha's growing connection to Lachlan to reach it. *** Lord of Horses Sometimes a villain is not a villain, and first impressions have to change... When the disgraced kelpie of Loch Lomond, Murdoch, discovers a new threat to his homeland, he finds a loophole in his banishment to show up at Sorcha Darrow's door. Despite initial misgivings about Murdoch's plea for help, Sorcha quickly agrees to help the creature out of guilt for what she did to him two years ago in the faerie realm. Lachlan, now the King of the Seelie Court, is less than happy about the kelpie's reappearance by Sorcha's side. Fuelled by jealousy and possessiveness he considers once more finding out his mortal paramour's full name in order to take her away from Murdoch forever. But trouble is brewing between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and Murdoch and Sorcha - now travelling down to London to deal with the threat to their home - may just be caught in the middle of it. *** King of Forever Sometimes protecting those we love means working with those we hate. Seven years ago Sorcha saved the life of Lachlan, Crown Prince of the Seelie Court, and became the object of affection for the kelpie, Murdoch, who sought to best him and destroy the court from within. Five years ago she saved them both from the wrath of the Unseelie king by giving up half her life. Now it's time to pay up. The last thing Sorcha wanted was an immortal life, but now she may not have a choice in the matter. For King Eirian wants nothing more than to rule over his Seelie brethren and take control of the kelpie's powers, and has no qualms about using the mortal woman they both love to do it.

Sometimes a villain is not a villain, and first impressions have to change... When the disgraced kelpie of Loch Lomond, Murdoch, discovers a new threat to his homeland, he finds a loophole in his banishment to show up at Sorcha Darrow's door. Despite initial misgivings about Murdoch's plea for help, Sorcha quickly agrees to help the creature out of guilt for what she did to him two years ago in the faerie realm. Lachlan, now the King of the Seelie Court, is less than happy about the kelpie's reappearance by Sorcha's side. Fuelled by jealousy and possessiveness he considers once more finding out his mortal paramour's full name in order to take her away from Murdoch forever. But trouble is brewing between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and Murdoch and Sorcha - now travelling down to London to deal with the threat to their home - may just be caught in the middle of it. The second book in the Bright Spear trilogy, Lord of Horses is loosely based on the Celtic fairy tale of The Kelpie Bride, and features a cameo from Scarlett and Adrian from Big, Bad Mister Wolfe (Chronicles of Curses book 1). NOTE: Lord of Horses is written in UK (British) English, not American English. Praise for Prince of Foxes: "The Prince of Foxes is as lushly filled with rich prose as any timeless classic. Hayley writes in a way that calls to mind the original fairy tales written hundreds of years ago..." Amazon.com reviewer "From the first page to the last, this is a captivating read." Amazon.com reviewer "I had no doubt I would lose myself in this book, and I can safely say it was everything I wanted." Amazon.co.uk reviewer

Death, divorce, and scandal send an American socialite to Kenya for a journey of discovery in this historical novel by a New York Times–bestselling author. Paris, 1923 The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides. Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society. Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming—yet fleeting and often cheap. Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without. Praise for A Spear of Summer Grass “An exotic journey of redemption.” —Kirkus Reviews “Rayburn’s breezy, straightforward style is a nice counterpoint to the complexity of her heroine.” —Publishers Weekly

A factory worker is kidnapped to help an elf reforge a broken spear, in this trilogy opener by the bestselling author of the Legend of Drizzt series. Gary Leger is desperate for adventure. Daydreaming is all that keeps him from going nuts while working a dead-end job in a plastics factory. The next best thing is burying himself in a good fantasy novel, and he spends much of his free time reading in the woods behind his house. That’s when adventure finds him. Or rather, that’s when he’s hit with a tranquilizer arrow . . . When Gary comes to, he’s still in the woods—but in a world inhabited by creatures from his favorite novels, like a pixie and a leprechaun. There’s also an elf on a dangerous life-quest who requires Gary’s assistance. As soon as Gary finishes helping him, he can go home. He simply needs to complete the task . . . while surviving encounters with trolls, an ice-hag, a dragon, and a sorceress bent on stopping them at all costs. This first novel in the Spearwielder’s Tale trilogy is a great choice for fans of Alan Dean Foster’s Spellsinger books and Terry Brooks’s Shannara series. Praise for The Woods Out Back “Written as a light-hearted adventure, the book works because the reader sees the world of Faerie through Gary’s eyes and Faerie is just as new to him as it is to the reader. . . . The book’s fast-paced, good-humored nature draws the reader in and makes the world of Faerie a fine place to visit—good thing there are two more installments!” —SF Site

Daughter of the Forest is a testimony to an incredible author's talent, a first novel and the beginning of a trilogy like no other: a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love. Lord Colum of Sevenwaters is blessed with six sons: Liam, a natural leader; Diarmid, with his passion for adventure; twins Cormack and Conor, each with a different calling; rebellious Finbar, grown old before his time by his gift of the Sight; and the young, compassionate Padriac. But it is Sorcha, the seventh child and only daughter, who alone is destined to defend her family and protect her land from the Britons and the clan known as Northwoods. For her father has been bewitched, and her brothers bound by a spell that only Sorcha can lift. To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known, and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss, and terror. When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for her to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and Sorcha will have to choose between the life she has always known and a love that comes only once. Juliet Marillier is a rare talent, a writer who can imbue her characters and her story with such warmth, such heart, that no reader can come away from her work untouched. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

What would you do to save your life? How far would you go? Would you be willing to betray those you love - even your parents? For Claire Danvers, it wasn't something she thought she would ever know. But when she's forced to make a decision, her life for her parents' research, that's exactly what she finds out. Now held hostage by her would-be assassins, Claire has to figure out a way to escape before it's too late...whilst those very assassins grow increasingly obsessed with her.