The Syrein of Alserrac
Author:
Olivia Jane Michaels is the author of two novels. Having written short stories and poems since childhood, Olivia Jane studied English Literature at University. She is a passionate reader of classic literature and contemporary literary fiction, especially magical realism. She writes a blog which is mainly a vehicle for her short stories: https://signofthepaintedmoon.blogspot.com/
The once beautiful and tranquil country of Alserrac has been invaded, its people enslaved, and the Syrein - a community of mystical sorceresses - are in exile, hunted and persecuted wherever they set foot.
High in the mountains, a small band of rebels gathers together; an army of Ghost Warriors determined to regain control of their country.
Spanning several decades, the story follows the fortunes of two sisters and the very different destinies they must fulfil. The first, Amaia, daughter to the King of the Wizards, will use anything and anyone in her quest for power, including her own son.
Amaia’s half-sister, Marissa, on the other hand, is only reluctantly persuaded to assume power as the Syrein’s Queen. In a desperate bid to save the sorceresses from extinction, she marries a noble warrior and gives birth to a daughter who, it is foretold, will ensure the Syrein’s future.
But across the sea in Carlinden, where the sorceresses are forced to seek refuge, a society of religious zealots has sprung up with a pledge to rid the land of witchcraft, and Marissa and her daughter must live in hiding if they are to survive.
As the Alserrac rebels grow in number and Amaia continues to be thwarted in her attempt to find and kill all the remaining sorceresses, Amaia’s son Edur presses for a final great battle to secure the throne he has usurped. With the powerful dragons of Halskird on their side, how can Edur and Amaia fail?
Meanwhile, on the western shores of Carlinden, a young girl grows up entirely unaware of the powerful gifts she has inherited as the last of the Syrein’s daughters.
In the shadow cast by the dark and doom-laden Keype of Halskird, friendships are forged that transcend race and even species, love blossoms in the midst of danger, and the bravery of a few human allies is all that stands between the Syrein and complete destruction.
Olivia Jane Michaels · Fantaisie
