The Derai came to Haarth through a portal from beyond the stars. In so doing, they created the Wall of Night, a rugged mountain range that alone stands between the rest of Haarth and the Darkswarm, longtime enemies who followed the Derai. And the Derai alone keep the Darkswarm from taking over the whole planet.

Comprised of nine Houses, of which Night is the oldest and strongest, the Derai are a war-like clan. They used to have much power, but strife amongst the families and between the warriors and priests has weakened them considerably. Malian, the daughter of the Earl of Night and his only heir, is a headstrong girl who escapes her guardians when she can but also is one who accepts her responsibility to her people.

Two Heralds come to the House of Night with a message for the Earl. Curious about them, Malian sneaks to the library in the middle of the night to learn more. It is here where she first hears a voice in her head, telling her to flee. Luckily, she is able to rouse the keep before the Darkswarm invaders have completed their attack. But it is only the first battle in the war.

Helen Lowe has written a terrific book and a wonderful first installment in an exciting new series. Regular readers of fantasy will find some pieces of story lines they will recognize, but Lowe twists and turns them to create her own unique work-- a young heroine and hero (in the form of a priest cast out from his house), lost weapons of power that will help Malian in her quest, and good versus evil. Lowe's vivid descriptions bring her landscapes to life and her flowing prose— poetic in places— caused this reader to go back and re-read passages for their pure beauty.

Some might think of THE HEIR OF NIGHT as a "young adult" story because the heroine is young, and while children might appreciate this story, adults will enjoy the adventure as well. Lowe is a talented writer who can deftly wave a storyline, develop multi-dimensional characters and hold back surprises to keep her readers guessing. I look forward to future installments in this series as well as to reading other works of Lowe's.