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The Drums of Diraenia

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Once again JennaKay Francis works her marvelous magic to weave a powerful spell in THE DRUMS OF DIRAENIA. JennaKay will sweep you away in fantastic a world of elves, witches, dragons, and shapeshifters.

Thalassa, a sea-witch, is one of the few survivors of her decimated village. Lord Adrik, her captor, quickly recognized her magical abilities when she shields slaves from the pain of their enforced branding. In return for her troubles, she's branded with a pentacle on her left cheek. Thalassa carries a whistle, given by her mother, which makes no sound, but holds a mysterious purpose. She also carries a child, born of rape at the hands of her vicious husband, who is now dead. Soon Thalassa her self will die of a disease that declares itself as a red mark moving up the arm to the heart. It attacks only sea-witches, and there is no known cure.

Thalassa convinces her captor to send Eri, a boy of seventeen, to aid her during the final month of her pregnancy. Eri serves a mysterious prince known as Sinclair, and seeks only to escape bondage and rescue his prince. His loyalty is only torn by the love he bears for Thalassa, because she sacrificed much to protect and heal him. Together, the escape the keep, while it falls victim to the fires and ravages of the dragon Aki.

In another country, the Elfin Crown Prince Terran, age 29, must wed and have an heir to the empire before he turns 30, or forfeit his kingdom to his younger brother. But his beloved fiancée Elize has been killed in a supposed hunting accident. Before he's willing to bow to his father's wishes of an arranged marriage to a princess, he seeks out a woman he met months ago. He's haunted by the memory of her in his arms.

THE DRUMS OF DIRAENIA seems to have too many loose ends to tie up, but JennaKay does it masterfully. All of the unfinished sub plots are woven into one nice knot, sweeping the reader away in a world of magic. Those who enjoyed FREE SPIRIT, JennaKay's previous novel, will delight in the maturity of the voice that has evolved in this second novel. I heartily recommend this novel to all lovers of fantasy. But be warned, for once you begin the journey, you won't want to put the book aside for even a moment.