by Susan King

Blacksmith Lachlann MacKerron has loved beautiful and wise Eva MacArthur, daughter of the clan chieftain, since they were children. What he doesn't know is that she loves him, too. Believing that a future for them is impossible, Lachlann leaves Scotland to fight with Joan of Arc in France. When he returns--bitter, disillusioned, scarred, and doubting his ability to craft the miraculous swords he once created--he learns that Eva is in desperate need of his help. Her father is dead, one brother imprisoned and another outlawed, and her home threatened by her evil fiance's soldiers. Legend says Eva must save her beloved Innisfarna with the power of her sword, and only Lachlann can forge a Sword of Light. But beneath the surface of the warrior and the bladesmith lie a man and a woman, deeply in love and desperate to save their clan--and find a way to spend their lives together.

Medieval Scotland comes to life in this latest novel from Susan King. Descriptions of the Highland's hills and forests, lochs and isles, hamlets and citizens are rich with the color of a time long past. The story employs the magic of fairy lore, the power of legend, and the fascinating details of the ancient craft of bladesmithing in a plot driven by human greed and obsession. Expertly crafted and written, The Sword Maiden is King at her best. Don't miss it. --Lois Faye Dyer