Title Of Book: Spirit Sight (Last of the Gifted, Book 1)
By: Marie Powell
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Magical Realism, Myths & Legends, Sword and Sorcery

Blurb:

“An evocative epic laced with myth and fact… myth, magic, and adventure… The Last of the Gifted is a classic.” Wendy Hawkin, Ottawa Review of Books
Two siblings pledge their magical gifts to protect their people from Longshanks’ ruthless army, with the help of the last true Prince of Wales—after his murder.
Warrior-in-training Hyw can control the minds of birds and animals. His sister Catrin can see the future in a drop of water. When the Prince of Wales is murdered, Hyw’s gift allows him to meld with the prince’s spirit. Now they pledge their magical gifts to protect their people — and each other — from Longshanks’ ruthless army.

Excerpt:

December 1282, Gwynedd, Cymru (North Wales):

He raised his arms, feeling bone and feather flatten against the wind, and knew himself tethered to air currents that smelled of salt and fish, somewhere off the horizon.

He ran below the bird, yet his mind and the hawk’s mind moved as one. He could feel the dry December grasses beneath his bare feet, but he saw as the hawk saw: a flash of grey fur in the stubble, the swaying pattern of a tree branch.

He tried to turn the hawk’s mind—his mind—to his will, and for a moment he succeeded. In the distance he could see the stone watchtower of his home at Garth Celyn, seat of the royal court of Wales. But the hawk’s need was powerful, turning him back to scan the ground they circled. If he squinted—just so—at the yellow and russet clumps, he could make out the leaves of each tree. A shadow flitted from branch to branch.

Prey!

His talons ached for the soft flesh and his beak thrust forward—

No, not his. It was the hawk’s beak that longed to rip the flesh from bone and feather. Hyw grasped the bird’s thoughts again and turned its head toward Prince Llywelyn’s tower. There! A streak of movement across the grass. Was it some grotesque beast from the past? He urged the hawk to circle until he could see it more clearly. A single horse and rider galloped toward Garth Celyn.

A messenger! Fast horses in wartime never bring good news. Had the English broken the peace again? Hyw gasped, and his connection to the bird faltered…

What People Are Saying:

5 Stars – “It’s an engaging tale from start to finish with a dash of magic to add to the intrigue.”

5 Stars – “An engrossing read, full of lilting, evocative language, allusions to Welsh folklore, and carefully researched historical details.”

5 Stars – “I loved the pace of the adventure, the insights and information about Medieval Wales, the magical fantasy elements connected to the Old Ways.”

5 Stars – “Historical legend, magic, mythology – a superb new novel!”

5 Stars – “A wonderful, lyrical fantasy full of myth, magic, and history set in a deep, rich Welsh landscape.”

Where to buy Spirit Sight (Last of the Gifted, Book 1)
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08GFK8BSJ

Meet Marie Powell:

Marie Powell’s adventures in castle-hopping across North Wales resulted in her award-winning medieval fantasy series Last of the Gifted: Spirit Sight and Water Sight. Marie is the author of more than 40 books with such publishers as Scholastic Education and Amicus. Her award-winning short stories and poetry appear in literary magazines. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing from UBC, among her five university degrees. Marie lives on Treaty 4 land in Regina, where she experiments in gardening and medieval cooking. She shares her home with a small calico cat, and they can usually be found negotiating for space on the kitchen table, Marie to write, and the cat to stare out the window (or vice versa). Find Marie at mariepowell.ca

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