Mara of the Acoma is about to join the service of Lashima, the Goddess of Nature and Wisdom, when she hears rough voices outside the temple demanding to see the Lasy of the Acoma. She recognises the voice of Keyoke, her father's Force Commander, and realises suddenly why he is there: Both Mara's father and brother must be dead. On returning to her fathers estates - HER estates, she finds only 37 of her soldiers remain, a small fraction of the two thousand her father commanded.
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When she takes the ceremony of mourning, she is attacked violently in her own contemplation glade, and her soldier Papewaio defies law in order to save her, entering the glade to kill the assassin. She embarks on a recruiting scheme to strengthen her estates, enlisting the aid of grey warriors, something unheard of all Tsurani history. Among them is Arakasi, the former Spy Master of House Tuscai. With his help, Mara wins over a Cho-ja queen and invites her to build her nest on Acoma land.
In the meantime, Mara takes the hand of Buntokapi of the Anasati, and allows him to take the mantle of Lord. Soon he turns the estates upside-down, and after Mara gives birth to his son, he moves off the estates into his Sulan-Qu town house with express orders not to be disturbed under ANY circumstance. He also doesn't take time to hear his wife tell him of the imminent arrival of Bunto's father and the Warlord himself...
The review of this Book prepared by Patrick Sykes
A young girl, taken seconds before her admission to priesthood is thrust into the mantke of house Acoma- a large group of related people and their slaves. She must compete with the rivalry of other houses, and save her house from destruction. She must learn to control the power of house Acoma, and not make the same mistakes her father did- one of which was to trust the wrong people, and die in the war because of betrayal...
The review of this Book prepared by Jimmy
Mara of the Acoma hose is left as absolute ruler when her Father and brother are killed in the war in Midkemia. Mara is left vulnerable as most of the soldiers associated with her house are also killed. It is up to Mara the young but intelligent girl to rebuild her houses status and power, but she must be wary of the Minwinabi, a rival house that is bent on destroying her house once and for all. Mara makes a political marriage to stabalize her house and to provide her with an heir but the man she chose as her puppet turns out not to be as easy to control as she expected. Mara continues to build up the power of her house both in military and commerce and is evetually rid of her husband leaving her alone in control again but then she is invited to the house of her enemy, an offer that she dare not refuse but is scared to accept as well. this sets up a final showdown and a battle of cunning between the leaders of the strong Minwinabi house and the rising Acoma house.
The review of this Book prepared by Neil Morey
