As this enthralling epic nears its climax, the young heroine’s brother discovers his own hidden gift — and the role he must play in battling the Dark. Hem is a weary orphan whose struggle for survival ends when he is reunited with his lost sister, Maerad. But Maerad has a destiny to fulfill, and Hem is sent to the golden city of Turbansk, where he learns the ways of the Bards and befriends a mysterious white crow. When the forces of the Dark

"Sonorous motifs and resonant archetypes form the backbone of this series conclusion... [the] prose is aesthetically romantic without romanticizing anything; scars of sadness are shown unflinchingly, but when Maerad registers a celebratory evening at the end as 'rich and vivid and luminous with joy snatched back from the dark,' she could be describing this series." — KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)

In an increasingly battle-ravaged