Epic high fantasy this good comes along only once in a while! Standing with the best of the field, Sean Russell's Swans' War series has enchanted readers and critics alike with its fascinating tale of good and evil, romance and violence, magic and mystery.After years of bitter enmity, the battle for power between the Renne and the Wills families has reached a fever point. Fleeing a forced marriage, young Elise Wills has made a desperate bargain with a dark river spirit to save her own life. It is left to the wanderer Alaan, together with a band of brave companions, to find Elise -- even as the dark knight Hafydd hunts Alaan for the secrets he possesses. But if Alaan cannot free Elise, the entire kingdom will be consumed in a bloody war between unquiet ghosts.