"Paxon Leah never thought of the old family sword hanging above his living room hearth as anything other than an intriguing ornament...until his sister is kidnapped by a sorcerer. Following the dark mage with nothing but this piece of steel to protect him, Paxon stumbles into a plot to overthrow the Druids and remake the world...and accidentally unlocks the powers of the ancient blade. Now, he must learn to master the sword's power in order to protect...

"Eilean was born a "wretched"--A lowly foundling raised by the Aldermaston of Tintern Abbey. Then she's chosen to assist in establishing the new abbey of Muirwood, now the site of a castle in the swampy Bearden Muir. Eilean's role is as night servant to the druid Mordaunt, the king's exiled advisor--and prisoner. He's clever, dangerous, and invaluable to the Aldermaston. Mordaunt's priceless secret: the hiding place of an ancient tome that reveals...