Beneath the Roots: The Aure Series, Book 1

Beneath the Roots has a dreamlike quality that reminds me of some early 20th century fantasy writers I used to read-William Morris and Lord Dunsany, to name two. -Allister Thompson Merisande is foraging near a gorge when she chances upon a winged fae prince. Gandel is from Thorsault, a hidden kingdom located across the gorge and beyond a cursed wood. Having run out of stories to placate the trees, he crossed the gorge out of desperation. In return for Merisande's stories, he gives her a summoning stone she can use to call him if she ever needs help. Nine years later, Merisande is at a crossroads when her younger brother releases a bull from its pen and it damages the neighboring lord's flock. The lord offers to set aside the damages if she'll marry his son, the knight Sir Avry. Despite Avry's deep love for Merisande, she despises him. Years ago, he helped give her brother a severe beating. The memory of that violence has stayed with her, and she decides it's best to flee. Using the stone, she summons Gandel and begs him to take her to his land, Thorsault. But the fae kingdom turns out to be a dreadful place. The only humans living there are mute, sickly slaves who labor all day for their fae masters. Though Merisande is under the protection of Prince Gandel, she does not feel safe. Then, by chance, she encounters Sir Avry, who has followed her into the kingdom. Avry had nothing to do with the letter his father sent and refuses to marry a woman against her will. Merisande realizes that she may have prejudged him. But this problem is greatly overshadowed by much bigger ones: Gandel is unable persuade his father to free Avry, and the slaves are dying from a terrible plague. With no one to replace them, the fae king prepares to harvest more, and his target is none other than Merisande and Avry's own people. Can they escape and warn their country before the unimaginable happens?

• | Author: W. K. Greyling
• | Publisher: Library and Archives Canada
• | Publication Date: Oct 28, 2018
• | Number of Pages: 302 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 1999474805
• | ISBN-13: 9781999474805