The Sword Maiden

Starred review from September 17, 2001
Against the backdrop of the Hundred Years' War, King (The Swan Maiden, etc.) deftly spins a mystical Highland romance between the daughter of a Scottish clan leader and a humble blacksmith. Feisty Eva MacArthur is the guardian of Innisfarna, an island that is purported to possess fairy magic. Eva's status and her precious holdings have earned her the unwanted attentions of Colin Campbell, a land-greedy clan chief who has close ties to the English king. When Eva's oldest brother is imprisoned and her father falsely executed for treason, Colin blackmails Eva into accepting a betrothal in exchange for her brother's life. Colin stalls on his promise but seizes the MacArthur lands anyway. Desperate to reclaim Innisfarna, Eva turns to her trusted friend Lachlann MacKerron, only to find that the physical and emotional wounds he incurred while fighting in France have impaired his ability to craft her a fairy sword. Nevertheless, Eva and Lachlann ignite sparks that fan into a strong love and a successful rebellion. King, whose popularity has grown with each book, is a consummate storyteller with a keen ear for dialogue and the ability to create multifaceted characters who capture the reader's sympathy. Her solid grasp of history also helps to firmly entrench readers in this era.