It's late summer of 1814. Hannah Bonner and her half brother, Luke, have been searching the islands of the Caribbean for more than a year for Luke's wife, Jennet, and the vile man who abducted her. But Jennet's rescue does not go as smoothly as everyone hopes. During her captivity, Jennet gave birth to Luke's son, Nathaniel, and in a desperate attempt to save his life, she reluctantly turned his care over to a stranger until her rescue.

Now, with one adventure over, another one begins that proves to be more difficult and dangerous than expected. There's a very powerful family doing their best to keep the Bonners from their son. This leads them to the wilds of New Orleans, where prejudice runs thick as swamp water, causing Hannah, being half Mohawk, to tread lightly.

While in New Orleans, they become separated. Jennet is reunited with young Nathaniel, but doing so brings her in contact with Honore Poiterin, the man she entrusted with her son. Hannah becomes ill and must rely on Paul and Julia Savard, old friends from her past, to care for her. While in their care she meets Paul's half brother, Jean-Benoit Savard (Ben), and they immediately are drawn to one another. Ben, part Choctaw, knows the city and the surrounding area well and is the person Hannah comes to trust to help reunite her with Luke and Jennet and get them home to Lake in the Clouds. But with New Orleans on the brink of war, is it too late for them to get out alive?

QUEEN OF SWORDS is the fifth installment in Ms. Donati's epic Bonner family drama and I hope not the last. It's a great story rich in history, adventure and romance. What a wonderful addition to my library.