For Melody, marriage is not a celebration of love. As
princess of Harsdown, she has an obligation to her country
to make a marriage of alliance as her parents see fit.
Mel's call to duty comes when Harsdown is faced with threat
of invasion unless Mel is married to Cobalt the Dark, a
Warlord of a neighboring kingdom. With the marriage comes a
treaty between Harsdown and the Misted Cliffs. This treaty
will keep Harsdown safe from invasion and subjection by
Cobalt and his kin. Melody begins her marriage with some
trepidation, but not outright fear, of her new husband. She
soon sees that he's a man of many facets. Beneath his stern
exterior and warlike manor is a good man, not always sure
of himself, who wants to be accepted and loved beyond all
things.
Separated from his father, Cobalt has been raised by his
mother and her abusive father. Cobalt's grandfather,
Stonebreaker, is well-named. Until Cobalt grew strong
enough to defend himself, he was subject to beatings on a
regular basis. As a young man and adult, the abuse turned
verbal when Stonebreaker realized he could no longer use
his fists on the boy. Cobalt's dream throughout his life is
to be reunited with his father, a man who might accept and
love him. The marriage to Mel happens almost by accident, a
situation that spiraled out of control. But much good could
come from this new relationship. Cobalt now has his father
and Melody, who both give him love and acceptance. Cobalt
is still haunted by the demons of his youth, and they drive
him to conquer and invade until it appears his hunger will
demand the ultimate sacrifice before it can be sated.
Catherine Asaro is one of my favorite authors. Her science-
fiction writing, though, is much stronger than her fantasy
writing. She really understands science and is always good
at strong relationships. It's her voice; it's where she
lives. Her space-opera and her AI novels all feature
complicated and intriguing relationships, both romantic and
familial. Her fantasy is good, but it's more generic and
doesn't have the same distinct voice. Still, I don't want
to complain about THE MISTED CLIFFS. I did enjoy it, and it
will appeal to Luna readers who are interested in romance
novels with a fantasy setting. Asaro is one of the best sci-
fi authors around, and I'd encourage anyone who hasn't read
her to start picking up her backlist.
One generation after war had nearly destroyed three nations,
evil was returning. And only Mel Dawnfield's daring
sacrifice could stop it.
The promise of peace rested on this young woman's noble vow:
to marry Cobalt the Dark—heir to a family of legendary
cruelty. With only her uncontrolled spells to guide her,
isolated in Cobalt's solitary home in the Misted Cliffs,
knowing poisoned blood ran through her husband's veins, Mel
struggled to embrace her unexplored mage powers and unveil
the light in her shadowy new world—including the radiance
hidden in her husband's soul. For her enemies were gathering
strength and they would soon unleash the darkest of evils in
the name of war.
In the final battle, Mel's ability to harness her magic
would mean the difference between a harmonious world...and
annihilation.
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