"EXCELLENT fantasy!"

Bryna is a slave to a Roman invader who lives in the Castle Kindred. When the "Evil One" catches and holds a man believed to be the Dark Chieftain below the castle in the dungeon, it is Bryna who saves him. With this act she sets in motion her own destiny, the awakening of dormant feelings as well as the fairy with-in her. Only she doesn't believe that this could possibly be her future -- she was raised as a slave!

Tynan is indeed the Dark Chieftain, the salvation of his people but he is more than this. As the Dark Chieftain, it is his destiny to free the fairies from Castle Kindred and can only marry the Territorial Goddess or there will be further disaster upon his people. His heart believes that Bryna is his goddess, but until he has freed and gained the approval of the fairies, he cannot claim her.

R Garland Gray changed gears from futuristic space novels to historical fantasy, and has again written a powerful and extraordinary novel. Here, she takes two people, brings them together and their future is PREDESTINED. While Bryna believes she can only be the false goddess, the truth is a little bit of a surprise!

I really enjoyed the sensory input written into this novel. Tynan's father betrayed the fairies as well as held them prisoner. Because of this their anger is expressed in the land and plant life dying. Bryna has the knowledge of the fey paths and because the paths belong to they fey the smell awful! I know bad smells generally aren't a good thing, but I love the way you can feel them walking through these hidden paths because of descriptive wording.

Something else I really like about this novel is the way that the fairy magic is such an important underlying element woven consistently throughout the novel. I got a kick out of the little pixies as well as the inclusion of other lesser-known fantasy creatures.

There are a few little twists and surprises in our plot that made this story very memorable for me. PREDESTINED is an excellent fantasy novel I would highly recommend.

Reviewed by Cynthia Eckert
Posted December 12, 2005

Summary

In an ancient realm of magic, love has a destiny of its own . . . Abandoned at birth on the shores of a sacred loch, Bryna never knew her family or true heritage. She exists as a slave in the fortress of a Roman invader, her only friend an ancient, blind Druidess, Derina. Her life is bleak and without hope. And then Derina tells her she must rescue the prisoner in the dungeon. Tynan lies naked, chained to a cold, stone slab, both body and mind tortured by the Sorcerer, evil ally of the Roman lord. The Sorcerer's purpose? To discover if this one, at last, might by the Dark Chieftain, the fulfiller of prophecy. Even deeper in the dungeon, trapped by magical enchantment, are the faeries. They await their liberator, the one who has been prophesied. And the Dark Chieftain awaits a destiny of his own . . . mating with the territorial goddess . . . a union that will set the land, and many lives, aright. First, however, he must gain his freedom and find her. And Bryna is on her way to the dungeon . . .