{"product_id":"witch-war-isbn-9780345417107","title":"Wit'ch War","description":"In her hands, the young wit’ch Elena holds the awesome energies of blood magick, and the destiny of Alasea. For the fate of that fabulous kingdom hinges on her recovery of the Blood Diary. Only by mastering the secrets recorded in its pages can Elena defeat the evil magicks of the Dark Lord. But the Diary lies hidden in A’loa Glen–the fabled city that belongs to Shorkan, chief lieutenant of the Dark Lord, and his fearsome army.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the help of her allies, including the ocean-dwelling Sy-wen and her great dragon, Elena prepares a desperate invasion of A’loa Glen. At her side stands the one-armed warrior Er’ril, who knows how to unlock the wards that surround the Blood Diary. But unknown to Elena, Er’ril is the brother of the dreaded Shorkan. Will he continue to act as her protector, or will he choose to betray her?\u003cbr\u003e“Clemens has constructed a world of magic that’s never been seen before, with a cast of beings who are so engaging and entrancing that you never want the story to end.”\u003cbr\u003e–JOHN SAUL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“FRESH IN THE DETAIL AND LIVELY IN THE TELLING.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e–Kirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“[A] CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED EPIC FANTASY ADVENTURE.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e–Publishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Clemens\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1961. With his three brothers and three sisters, he was raised in the Midwest and rural Canada. He attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1985. The lure of ocean, sun, and new horizons eventually drew him to the West Coast, where he established his veterinary practice in Sacramento, California. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eWit’ch Fire\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWit’ch\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eStorm\u003c\/i\u003e. Under the name James Rollins, he is also the author of the national bestseller \u003ci\u003eSubterranean\u003c\/i\u003e.With only the crash of waves for company, Elena stood by the\u003cbr\u003ecliff's edge and stared out across the blue seas. At the horizon, the sun\u003cbr\u003ewas just dawning, crowning the distant islands of the Archipelago with\u003cbr\u003erosy halos of mist. Closer to the coast, a single-masted fishing trawler\u003cbr\u003efought the tide to ply its trade among the many isles and reefs. Over its\u003cbr\u003esails, gulls and terns argued while hunting the same generous waters.\u003cbr\u003eNearer still, at the base of the steep bluff, the rocky shore was already\u003cbr\u003eoccupied by the lounging bodies of camping sea lions. The scolding barks\u003cbr\u003eof mothers to their pups and the occasional huffing roar of a territorial\u003cbr\u003ebull echoed up to her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSighing, Elena turned her back on the sight. Since the seadragons of the\u003cbr\u003emer'ai had left fifteen days ago, the routines of the coastline were\u003cbr\u003ealready returning to normal. Such was the resiliency of nature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs if to remind her further of the natural world's strength, a stiff\u003cbr\u003emorning breeze tugged at her hair, blowing it into her eyes. Irritated,\u003cbr\u003eshe pushed back the waving strands with gloved fingers and attempted to\u003cbr\u003etrap the stray locks behind her ears, but the winds fought her efforts. It\u003cbr\u003ehad been over two moons since Er'ril had last cropped her hair, and the\u003cbr\u003elength had grown to be a nuisance--too short to fix with ribbons and pins,\u003cbr\u003eyet too long to easily manage, especially with her hair beginning to show\u003cbr\u003eits curl again. Still, she kept her complaints to herself, fearing Er'ril\u003cbr\u003emight take the shears to her once again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe frowned at the thought. She was tired of looking like a boy.\u003cbr\u003eThough she had readily accepted the necessity of the disguise while\u003cbr\u003etraveling the lands of Alasea, out here in the lonely wilds of the\u003cbr\u003eBlisterberry bluffs, there were no eyes to spy upon her and no need to\u003cbr\u003econtinue the ruse as Er'ril's son--or so she kept telling herself. Yet she\u003cbr\u003ewas not so sure her guardian held these same assumptions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a caution, Elena had gone to wearing caps and hats when around Er'ril,\u003cbr\u003ehoping he wouldn't notice the growing length of her locks or the fading\u003cbr\u003eblack dye that had camouflaged her hair. The deep fire of her natural\u003cbr\u003ecolor was finally beginning to reappear at the roots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe pulled out her cap from her belt and corralled her hair under it\u003cbr\u003ebefore hiking back up the coastal trail to the cottage. Why the appearance\u003cbr\u003eof her hair should matter so much to her she could not put into words. It\u003cbr\u003ewas not mere vanity, though she could not deny that a pinch of pride did\u003cbr\u003eplay a small role in her subterfuge with Er'ril. She was a young woman,\u003cbr\u003eafter all, and why wouldn't she balk at appearing as a boy?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut there was more to it than that. And the true reason was marching down\u003cbr\u003ethe path toward her with a deep frown. Dressed in a wool sweater against\u003cbr\u003ethe morning's chill, her brother wore his fiery red hair pulled back from\u003cbr\u003ehis face with a black leather strap. Reminded of her family by Joach's\u003cbr\u003epresence, Elena was ashamed to hide her own heritage under dyes any\u003cbr\u003elonger. It was like denying her own parents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Joach closed the distance between them, Elena recognized the character\u003cbr\u003eof the young man's exasperated grimace and his pained green eyes. She had\u003cbr\u003eseen it often enough on her father's face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Aunt My has been looking all over for you,\" he said as greeting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My lessons!\" Elena darted forward, closing the distance with her brother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I'd almost forgotten.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Almost?\" he teased as she joined him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe scowled at her brother but could not argue against his accusation. In\u003cbr\u003efact, she had completely forgotten about this morning's lesson. It was to\u003cbr\u003ebe her last instruction on the art of swordplay before Aunt Mycelle left\u003cbr\u003efor Port Rawl to rendezvous with the other half of their party. Kral,\u003cbr\u003eTol'chuk, Mogweed, and Meric were due to meet with Mycelle there in two\u003cbr\u003edays' time. Elena wondered for the hundredth time how they had fared in\u003cbr\u003eShadowbrook. She prayed they were all well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs she and her brother marched back up the trail toward the cottage, Joach\u003cbr\u003emumbled, \"El, your head's always in the clouds.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe turned in irritation, then saw her brother's quirked smile. Those were\u003cbr\u003ethe same words her father had used so often to scold Elena when time had\u003cbr\u003eslipped away from her. She took her brother's hand in her own. Here was\u003cbr\u003eall that was left of her family now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoach squeezed her gloved hand, and they walked in silence through the\u003cbr\u003efringe forest of wind-whipped cypress and pine. As Flint's cottage\u003cbr\u003eappeared on the bluffs ahead, Joach cleared his throat. \"El, there's\u003cbr\u003esomething I've been meaning to ask you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hmm?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"When you go to the island . . .\" he started.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eElena inwardly groaned. She did not want to think of the last leg of their\u003cbr\u003ejourney to retrieve the Blood Diary from the island of A'loa\u003cbr\u003eGlen--especially given Joach's own accounting of the horrors that lay in\u003cbr\u003ewait.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I'd like to go back with you. To the island.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eElena stumbled a step. \"You know that's not possible. You heard Er'ril's\u003cbr\u003eplan, Joach.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes, but a word from you--\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"No,\" she said. \"There's no reason for you to go.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a touch on her arm, Joach pulled her to a stop. \"El, I know you want\u003cbr\u003eto keep me from further danger, but I have to go back.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShaking free of his hand, she stared him in the eye. \"Why? Why do you\u003cbr\u003ethink you need to go? To protect me?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"No, I'm no fool.\" Joach stared at his feet. He still would not meet her\u003cbr\u003egaze. \"But I had a dream,\" he whispered. \"A dream that has repeated twice\u003cbr\u003eover the past half moon since you arrived from the swamps.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe stared at her brother. \"You think it's one of your weavings?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I think so.\" He finally raised his eyes to hers, a slight blush on his\u003cbr\u003echeeks. Joach had discovered he shared their family's heritage of\u003cbr\u003eelemental magicks. His skill was dreamweaving, a lost art preserved by\u003cbr\u003eonly a select few of the Brotherhood. It was the ability to glimpse\u003cbr\u003esnatches of future events in the dream plane. Brother Flint and Brother\u003cbr\u003eMoris had been working with Joach on testing the level of his magick.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoach nodded toward the cottage ahead. \"I haven't told anyone else.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Maybe it's just an ordinary dream,\" Elena offered. But the part of her\u003cbr\u003ethat was a wit'ch stirred with her brother's words. Magick. Even the mere\u003cbr\u003emention of it fired her blood. With both her fists fresh to the Rose, the\u003cbr\u003emagick all but sang in her heart. Swallowing hard, she closed her spirit\u003cbr\u003eagainst the call of the wit'ch. \"What made you think it was a weaving?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoach scrunched up his face. \"I . . . I get this feeling when I'm in a\u003cbr\u003eweaving. It's like a thrill in my veins, like my very being is afire with\u003cbr\u003ean inner storm. I felt it during this dream.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn inner storm, Elena thought. She knew that sensation when she touched\u003cbr\u003eher own wild magick--a raging tempest trapped in her heart screaming with\u003cbr\u003epent-up energy. She found her two hands wringing together with just the\u003cbr\u003eremembrance of past flows of raw magick. She forced her hands apart. \"Tell\u003cbr\u003eme about your dream.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoach bit his lower lip, suddenly reluctant.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Go on,\" Elena persisted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis voice lowered. \"I saw you at the top of a tall spire in A'loa Glen. A\u003cbr\u003eblack winged beast circled the parapets nearby--\"","brand":"Del Rey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305030996197,"sku":"NP9780345417107","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345417107.jpg?v=1767744416","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/witch-war-isbn-9780345417107","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}