Dreamspinner by Lynn Kurland – a Review

DreamSpinner, written by Lynn Kurland; is the first installment of the third trilogy of the Nine Kingdoms series. It is the long awaited beginning of Runach of Ceingail’s story. The oldest of only three survivors of a long ago tragedy, that had been thought to wipe out an entire family. Runach is the only one who crawled away from this terrifying day, with more than emotional scars….

Horribly crippled with the use of his hands, and rendered ungifted due to the thievery of his very own father, Runach has spent the years of his adult life; walking the library of the most prestigeous magic academy in all of the Nine Kingdoms. He spent his time sticking to the shadows, hidden within the hood of his cloak, avoiding those that would do him harm if they learned he was alive–and soaking up all the information he could read. Until one day, a chance meeting with the archmage of Tor Neroche, and a Shieldmaiden from Melksham turned Runach’s entire world upside down…for the second time in his life.

Miraculously, his beloved little sister, the youngest of 6 original children, was not killed at the Dark well with his mother, father and the rest of his siblings as he had feared. It was this unexpected happenstance that also led Runach to the discovery of the survival of his youngest brother. After much mystery surrounding Runach in the first trilogy, he truly comes to life in the second trilogy of the Nine Kingdoms. Since he first stepped onto the page; readers have waited, and wondered if this solitary soul would discover a purpose to his altered life, as well as happiness.

DreamSpinner opens just after Runach has spent weeks with his newly rediscovered siblings, and witnessed the weddings of his sister and brother. He feels an unsettledness stirring within his soul, being surrounded by loving, well meaning family who has repeatedly taxed themselves and their magical gifts by healing his hands. He lacks the vanity to allow them to attempt to heal his face. Runach may have been born an eleven prince of one of the most polished, and well known bloodlines–but that part of himself died forever; on the day he witnessed the true power of his father’s evil as a youth.

Now a man lacking the magic of his birthright, the civility, and polish expected of a Prince of his status…Runach feels the only choices left to him upon the restoration of his hands (although they still pain him greatly) is either to remain with his family, living off from their hard work, and hospitality–or once again taking up the swordsplay of which he was once so skilled. Feeling as if the first in no choice at all, he makes preperations to travel to a place few would ever venture, for there is no better to help him relearn this skill; than the most notorious Sword Master in the Nine Kingdoms. Scrimgeyour Weger. Runach is at peace with the simple life of obscurity he will lead with this choice. After all, there are worst fates than living the life of a soldier…and surely destiny would have nothing more grand in store for a library hermit…right?

It is at this point the book shifts POV, and we meet our heroine, Aisling. A woman of no consequence, from a place as insignificant as nowhere…or so is the readers first perception. Aisling has lived out her life in a village quite unknown to outsiders, and of which is believed by its citizens; to cast a horrible curse upon its inhabitants. Keep your mouth shut, and stay–you live, cross the border, or speak of this place to anyone–and you die by this curse. Life is not grand at Brudair, and Aisling knows this better than some. Having been sold into slavery by her very own parents, in exchange for money for they, and her siblings to live an expensive lifestyle.

Since the age of 8; Aisling has spent her life at the Guild; weaving fabric, day after day. During one of her rare moments she gets to herself, she receives the shock of seeing her parents across a crowded travel way. Have they come to pay off their debt? Will she finally receive her freedom? Her heart sinks however, when they disappear once more into the carriage…and she knows that they must have negotiated a renewal of her contract. Desperation and hopelessness sets in, knowing she does not reach the age of 28–when her parents can no longer “rent” her labor–for several more months.

This is the point in the story where we see a previous character known for his visions of the future, break all rules and interfere in the destiny of another. A man so rigidly bound by the duty his gift demands–he would not even allow himself to try and prevent the death of the woman he loved. Readers are left wondering what importance this man could have seen, that he would tweak the strands of fate. It is here the adventure begins. With our hero and heroine both traveling towards a place rarely saught. One driven by choice…one driven by desperation…both driven by destiny. Upon this unlikely meeting of souls, our hero and heroine begin a fight for physical, and emotional survival. Locked in an inner and outter struggle to keep their secrets from coming to light. All while feeling the fragile bloom of friendship and trust; morphing into the bombardment of an attraction neither can afford.

For me, DreamSpinner was the most enjoyable novel of the Nine Kingdoms to date. Although I have adored every single novel in this series, book 7 offers long time fans, and newly arriving readers so much. Around every corner, there are unexpected dangers threatening the world, and people of the Nine Kingdom’s. There are many reunion’s between a whole cast of previous main, and side characters. Some heartwarming, and humorous–while others are shocking, and intense. I found myself laughing out loud with DreamSpinner more than with any other previous installment. And yet, in the next instant, I could feel the palpable tension building for the action to come.

As always, I felt completely transported by Lynn Kurland‘s lyrical writing, brilliant mental imagery, richly descriptive magic, and larger than life characterization. Although DreamSpinner did not end with as large of a cliff hanger as some of the other novels, this coming year will be no less painful of a wait. Runach grabbed ahold of my heart within the first ten pages, and I anxiously anticipate the next chapter of he and Aisling’s journey. Well done Ms. Kurland, and may you write within the world of the Nine Kingdom’s for many years to come.
Please. 🙂

Reviewed by Miranda

Copy provided by Author