Firethorn

Introducing a mesmerizing debut in the rich tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradt--a passionate tale of love and war in which the gods grant a common girl uncommon gifts.

A lowborn orphan, Luck is destined to a life of servitude. But when her mistress dies, the girl flees in grief to the forest, where she discovers the sacred firethorn tree, whose berries bring her fevered dreams, a new name . . . and a new fate.

In the chaos of the UpsideDown Days, when the highborn and the low trade places, Firethorn couples with the warrior Sire Galan—and when he rides away to join the king's army, she rides with him. By day she uses her gifts as a healer to earn a place among the camp's women, and by night she shares Sire Galan's bed, her desire equal to his. But the passion they feel for each other has no place in a world ruled by caste and violence—and Firethorn will soon learn how hard it can be to tell honor from dishonor, justice from vengeance.