Paperback, 320 pages
English language
Published Jan. 5, 1988 by DAW.
With Elspeth, the heir to the throne of Valdemar, come of marriageable age, Talia, the Queen’s Own Herald returns to court to find Queen and heir beset by diplomatic intrigue as various forces vie for control of Elspeth’s future.
But just as Talia is about to uncover the traitor behind all these intrigues, she is sent off on a mission to the neighboring kingdom, chosen by the Queen to investigate the worth of a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar. And, to her horror, Talia soon discovers there is far more going on at Prince Ancar’s court than just preparation for a hoped-for royal wedding. For a different magic than that of the Heralds is loose in Ancar’s realm—an evil and ancient sorcery that may destroy all of Valdemar unless Talia can send warning to her Queen in time!
One of the hardest Valdemar books to review. Like the first two, there's a lot of light romance froth of "these two people somehow manage to mistake their love for each other repeatedly" but then over about 30 pages we get to prolonged torture and rape. I find the rapid tonal change very hard to cope with.
Other than that, more engaging than the previous in the series, with battles rather than school lessons.
This was one of the most revitting plots I've ever read. It's different from the "normal" fantasy provided by other authors.
