The Eleven Domain were forged in blood a thousand years ago. The blood is about to flow again. Bramble is as wild as the animals she follows deep into the forest near her village. Her dark eyes betray her heritage - she's a Traveller, one of the despised original people of the Domains. And for as long as she can remember, she has wanted to take to the Road. But the gods always say no... In Turvite, where ghosts drift along dark cobbled streets, Ash must leave his parents, and the Road, to begin an apprenticeship with the only person who will accept a Traveller - the scheming Doronit. But the gods who linger in the gloomy square have other plans for him... From different ends of the Eleven Domains, death casts Bramble and Ash on journeys across valleys and mountains and into the dark history of their ancestors.
Blood Ties
This was the first fantasy novel I read when I was younger and it's remained one of my firm favourites ever since. The story revolves around Bramble, Ash and Saker, three descendants of the Travellers, the Eleven Domains indigenous race. Despised for their heritage, each find their destinies nudged along by death; Bramble is branded a criminal after an accidental death is placed on her head, Ash is being trained as a killer for hire and Saker has nefarious plans to avenge his slain ancestors. One of the standout features of this novel for me were the short chapters sprinkled in amongst the main story that explored the lives of even the most minor of characters that the main heroes interact with throughout the story. Added to the sheer humanity that leaps off the pages and draws you in is the rich, sprawling history of the Eleven Domains that serves as a focal point for the story. Classic fantasy novels do not get any better than this! - Karen C.
Tweed Heads, 11/03/2016
