{"product_id":"the-dreamers-song-isbn-9780425282199","title":"The Dreamer's Song","description":"\u003cb\u003eTHE SPELLBINDING NINE KINGDOMS SAGA CONTINUES AS A MAGE WITHOUT MAGIC AND A STABLE MAID WITHOUT A HOME FACE THE APPROACHING SHADOWS OF DARKNESS—AND CHOICES THAT WILL CHANGE THEM BOTH FOREVER...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Acair of Ceangail, still dodging his reputation as a notorious black mage, has undertaken the ultimate quest: ridding the world of a mysterious, terrible dark magic while using no magic of his own. But he never bargained for three maddening complications: attempting to safeguard his beautiful but horse-obsessed companion, Léirsinn; trying not to slay a profoundly irritating prince of Neroche; and slipping in and out of places he knows will spell his doom if he’s caught.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Léirsinn of Sàraichte simply wants to do what needs to be done—find the makers of various spells and rescue her grandfather. But walking side by side with Acair brings a terrible revelation about the magic she needs, and what its price will exact from her soul.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Together, Acair and Léirsinn face danger they never could have imagined, culminating in choices that will alter them and the history of the Nine Kingdoms forever.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Lynn Kurland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“One of romance’s finest writers.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Oakland Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Both powerful and sensitive…A wonderfully rich and rewarding book.”—Susan Wiggs, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An enchanting, vibrant story.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A superbly crafted, sweetly romantic tale.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Kurland] weaves stories with a magic that could only be conjured from dreams.”—The Reading Cafe\u003cb\u003eLynn Kurland\u003c\/b\u003e is the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eEver My Love\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eStars in Your Eyes\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Dreams of Lilacs\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAll for You\u003c\/i\u003e, and the Novels of the Nine Kingdoms, as well as numerous other novels and short stories.\u003cb\u003eOne\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Horses. Grain. Manure. Those were useful, reliable things a woman      with any amount of good sense chose to fill her life with.      Anything of a more untoward or unnerving nature was obviously      something that same sort of woman should avoid like a pile of      mouldy oats.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Léirsinn of Sàraichte stood in the shadows of a rather      disreputable-looking pub, shivered, and made a valiant effort to      focus on those things that had made up so much of her life so far.      Horses were majestic creatures, grain kept them happy, and      cleaning up after them was the price she'd paid for the joy of      riding on their backs. It was a simple, predictable circle that      had given purpose and meaning to her days. How she had strayed so      far from such a pedestrian life, she couldn't say-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She sighed and stopped herself from even finishing that thought.      She knew exactly how she'd come to be where she was and how barn      work had led her to such a terrible place. It wasn't something she      particularly wanted to think about, but she was trapped where she      was for the moment and she needed something to help her pass the      time. It seemed like the least dangerous of the things she could      be doing, so she made herself more comfortable against the outside      of the pub and allowed her thoughts to wander.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They wandered without much effort to the moment when her life had      become something so thoroughly not what she'd been accustomed to.      There she'd been, innocently going about her chores as usual, when      a man had arrived at her uncle's barn looking for work. What she      should have done was take away the pitchfork he quite obviously      had never used and shown him the quickest way out of the barn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Instead, she'd stared just a bit too long at his truly spectacular      visage and apparently lost all her wits. Not only had she allowed      him to remain in her uncle's stables attempting work he was      singularly unqualified to do, she had listened to him long enough      to be convinced that her uncle wanted her dead and her only hope      was to flee. She had somehow lost her grip on good sense and      traded the three things she knew best for other, less comfortable      things such as mages, magic, and mythical beasts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A breathless race across the whole of the Nine Kingdoms in the      company of a madman and a shapechanging horse-two horses actually,      but who was counting?-had left her standing where she was at      present, trying not to gape at her surroundings like the country      mouse she most definitely was and wishing she were safely tucked      away in an obscure barn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Where she was at present was Eòlas, the capital city of the      country of Diarmailt. She hadn't dared ask anyone to verify her      location, though she likely could have given that most of the      inhabitants of the Nine Kingdoms were on the same cobblestone      byway with her. Never in her life had she seen so many people      gathered together in one place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To make matters worse, most of those souls seemed determined to      either elbow her out of their way or grope various parts of her      person as they passed by her, no doubt in search of valuables.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She frowned at a particularly irritating lad who seemed determined      to pester her, but she wasn't sure what the rules were for ridding      oneself of that sort of vexation. She thought a hearty shove or      perhaps even a fist to the lad's nose might be the easiest way to      make her wishes known, but she was unfortunately under an      injunction to do whatever was necessary not to draw attention to      herself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A bit of ale,\" the young man said, looking at her meaningfully,      \"then perhaps a quiet moment or two in a-\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Ditch?\" suggested a deep voice from directly behind him. \"Or      perhaps you would care to select a less comfortable final resting      place.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The lad turned, squeaked, then fled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLéirsinn understood. She looked at the tall, cloaked figure now      standing where her would-be companion had recently stood and      supposed that if she'd had any sense, she would have bolted as      well. The man facing her, while terribly elegant, gave the      impression that a good brawl was something he indulged in each      morning just after sunrise and just before helping himself to a      hearty breakfast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fortunately for her, he was her traveling companion and deliverer      of the occasional bit of maudlin sentiment. If he also happened to      be the youngest bastard son of the worst black mage in recent      memory, well, she wasn't going to complain. He was sitting on her      side of the table instead of sitting across from her and spewing      spells at her. She didn't think she could ask for anything more      than that, though she did snort silently at how freely thoughts of      magic galloped across what was left of her mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Spells. What absolute rot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She turned away from indulging in those thoroughly useless      thoughts and focused on the man standing in front of her. Acair of      Ceangail shoved aside another gangly youth, then joined her in      leaning against the pub wall, as far out of the press of humanity      as possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Any trouble?\" he asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nothing noteworthy,\" she said, \"though I'm probably not the right      one to judge that.\" She glanced at him. \"I've never seen so many      people in one place in my life and 'tis only dawn.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He pushed his hood back from his face. \"It is an easy place in      which to lose oneself, true. In your case, though, I can see why      nothing would aid you in escaping the attentions of every lad in      the area.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She ignored the flattery, mostly because the memory of their      thoroughly unpleasant journey to their current locale was still      very fresh in her mind and he was responsible for it. \"Did hiding      your face help you in the past quarter hour?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Barely,\" he said, straightening his cloak. \"I vow I was accosted      by no fewer than half a dozen maids with mischief on their minds.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Good thing you're accustomed to it,\" she observed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Isn't it, though?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She imagined he was very      accustomed to the same and she further supposed he had rarely      passed up an opportunity to indulge as many lassies in their      desires as possible. Given that she had experienced his powers of      persuasion firsthand, she knew those poor women weren't to blame      for whatever straits they found themselves in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She could scarce believe she had been just as overcome, but the      man was hard to resist. He was also, as she had reminded herself      just a moment or two ago, completely to blame for the      terror-filled journey she'd made on the back of her favorite horse      to places she'd never intended to go, where she had encountered      people of various sorts she had never imagined existed-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're thinking pleasant thoughts about me,\" Acair murmured,      leaning closer to her. \"Planning on joining that list of my      admirers?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I was actually wishing I had stabbed you with a pitchfork the      first time I saw you,\" she managed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He smiled, and she winced. She realized at that moment that it had      been his smile to render her not only witless but unable to do him      any serious bodily harm. The first time she'd clapped eyes on him,      she should have clapped her hand over her own traitorous eyes and      stumbled away to somewhere he wasn't.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You aren't in earnest,\" he said with a small smile. \"Do damage to      this extremely fine form? I don't think you could.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm not sure you want to test it after what you put me through      last night,\" she said, trying to ignore the memories of that      extremely bumpy ride on the back of a dragon who had seemed      determined by his antics to wring shouts of laughter from the      madman standing next to her. She dredged up the sternest look she      could muster and attempted an abrupt return to the business at      hand. \"What now?\" she asked. \"Well, besides watching you step over      the pile of lassies who have fallen at your feet, did you find      anything unexpected?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He propped his foot up underneath him and sighed. \"Nothing out of      the ordinary, which bodes well for success here. Unfortunately,      that leaves us with nothing to do but continue to keep ourselves      out of trouble whilst we wait for a certain finicky prince of      Neroche to locate the sort of accommodations he might find to his      liking, then we run away from them as quickly as possible and find      something suitable.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And then?\" she asked. \"I know you told me yesterday, but I spent      so much time screaming last night that I believe the noise drove      it from my mind.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He bumped her companionably with his shoulder. \"You didn't scream      the entire time.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nay, I fainted midway through the torment, which likely saved      your ears.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He smiled. \"I thought you were swooning for my benefit, so I'm not      sure I'll accept anything else.\" He watched the shadowy press of      humanity for a bit longer, then looked at her. \"We'll find      somewhere safe to leave our gear, then I need to nip in and out of      the library and fetch that book I need.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She knew that, of course. She'd simply been hoping her ears had      been failing her. Traveling to their current locale seemed like a      great deal of fuss for not much at all. \"You couldn't have found a      copy of this book somewhere else?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He opened his mouth, then shut it and shook his head. \"Nay, though      you've no idea how it pains me to say as much. The damned thing is      of my own make, unfortunately, and whilst I usually make at least      one copy of my notes to hide elsewhere, in this instance I was in      a hurry and therefore less careful than I should have been.\" He      shrugged. \"I would prefer not to be here, but here we are.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She was tempted to ask him why he didn't just stash things under      his bed, but for all she knew, he didn't have a bed, never mind a      home to call his own. Perhaps he was forced to hide his priceless      treasures in odd places just to keep them safe. Given that he      seemed to endlessly travel the world, she wouldn't have been      surprised.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The idea that she might travel the world in a similar fashion had      honestly never occurred to her. In fact, if anyone had suggested      the possibility of it to her even a pair of months before, she      would have stabbed \u003ci\u003ethem\u003c\/i\u003e with a pitchfork to give them relief from      their stupidity. Getting herself even from her uncle's stables in      Briàghde across the hill to Sàraichte, nothing more than a      leisurely hour's walk, had seemed the very limit of what she could      do. It had never crossed her mind that she might someday travel      farther than that, never mind all the way across the Nine      Kingdoms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Yet there she was, hundreds of leagues from the only home she      truly remembered, keeping company with a terrible black mage on      holiday from his usual business of wreaking havoc, and looking      forward to a nap in lodgings that had been sought for them by a      prince of the royal house of Neroche. She had seen elves, mages,      and horses worth a king's ransom. She had encountered kindness she      hadn't deserved and refuge she hadn't dared hope for. It had been      an adventure beyond her wildest imaginings and she knew it was far      from over.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46299813085413,"sku":"NP9780425282199","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425282199.jpg?v=1767739083","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-dreamers-song-isbn-9780425282199","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}