In the series' third volume, Lozen—now healed of her deadly sickness—vows not to take another human life even as dangerous enemies stalk the residents and refugees of Valley Where First Light Paints the Cliffs, who depend on her to keep them safe. As she turns from killing, Lozen discovers she can gather great power in her hands and direct it as needed when, through her growing ability to communicate mind to mind, she perceives deadly enemies bent on her community's destruction. One of Haven's four overlords is dead and the Dreamer has become an ally, but the Jester and Lady Time retain formidable powers and an implacable hatred for their former servants, Lozen especially. And Luther Little Wound—a cruel, solitary killer—survives, a fearsome enemy. Lozen draws strength from her life partner, Hussein; from the bibliophilic Dreamer; from the strange creature Hally; and from the land itself, home of her Chiricahua ancestors, including the first Lozen. Their stories, her birthright, ground and sustain her, imparting valuable life lessons. Lozen's one of literature's rare female superheroes: a down-to-earth leader whose crushing burden of responsibility is leavened by humility, humor, and a willingness to ask for help and accept advice. Her multidimensional journey has evolved with the series. If the bleak world Lozen's people and their allies have inherited is deeply scarred, this gripping saga suggests that where change is possible, hope for the future remains. (Science fiction. 12-16)

In the series' third volume, Lozen—now healed of her deadly sickness—vows not to take another human life even as dangerous enemies stalk the residents and refugees of Valley Where First Light Paints the Cliffs, who depend on her to keep them safe. As she turns from killing, Lozen discovers she can gather great power in her hands and direct it as needed when, through her growing ability to communicate mind to mind, she perceives deadly enemies bent on her community's destruction. One of Haven's four overlords is dead and the Dreamer has become an ally, but the Jester and Lady Time retain formidable powers and an implacable hatred for their former servants, Lozen especially. And Luther Little Wound—a cruel, solitary killer—survives, a fearsome enemy. Lozen draws strength from her life partner, Hussein; from the bibliophilic Dreamer; from the strange creature Hally; and from the land itself, home of her Chiricahua ancestors, including the first Lozen. Their stories, her birthright, ground and sustain her, imparting valuable life lessons. Lozen's one of literature's rare female superheroes: a down-to-earth leader whose crushing burden of responsibility is leavened by humility, humor, and a willingness to ask for help and accept advice. Her multidimensional journey has evolved with the series. If the bleak world Lozen's people and their allies have inherited is deeply scarred, this gripping saga suggests that where change is possible, hope for the future remains. (Science fiction. 12-16)