Pellinor
Pellinor is a fantasy series by Alison Croggon.
The Pellinor series is about a 16 year-old girl named Maerad who was a slave, escaped, and found out that she is the One, the Foretold, who is destined to defeat the Nameless in his darkest rising. This series consists of 4 books.
The first book is titled- "The Gift" (or "The Naming")and was first published in 2003 in Australia, in the UK in 2004 and in the US in 2005.
"The Gift" begins with Maerad, in "Gilman's Cot" as a slave, where she has been for most of her life, with few memories of her former life, her mother having died several years before. She is discovered by Cadvan (one of the great Bards), who reveals to her that she too has "the Gift" of the Bards. Cadvan soon discovers that her mother was the the leader of the first circle of the destoryed School of Pellinor; it was previously assumed that there were no survivors. Knowing this, Cadvan decides to help her escape, believing that it might not be chance that he came upon possibly the only survivor from Pellinor.
Cadvan finds that Maerad's Gift was unusually powerful for one never formaly taught; he begins to suspect who Maerad really is. Cadvan takes her to the School of Innail, to make the presence of a survivor from Pellinor known and to make Maerad a minor bard of Pellinor. During their time there, Maerad obtains a long-forgotten prophecy concerning the Foretold One who will defeat the Nameless One (Sharma).
After their abrupt stay at Innail, Cadvan takes Maerad across Annar, to Norloch, intending to have her instated as a full bard and given her Name, and also to see his old teacher- Nelac. But not is all as it seems in Norloch and Mearad and Cadvan discover that the Darkness has spread to very heart of the Barding world.
The second book continues about a day or two after the first ended, and is named- The Riddle, it was released in Australia in 2004, in the UK in May of 2005 and is due to be released in the US in early 2006.
*Spoiler Warning for parts of "The Gift"
"The Riddle" sees Mearad and Cadvan continue the search for Maerad's destiny, which takes them to the lively island school of Busk and north to the realms of the Pilanel and finaly to the very heart of the realm of the Ice Witch, Arkan,(Minion of the Nameless One). While in Busk Mearad, for the first time, feels as though she has found a place where she may belong, meanwhile Cadvan continues the search for the mysterious "Treesong", the key to Mearad's destiny. Mearad also begins to explore her powers and their full potential (with some humourous outcomes). But their peace is shattered by dark events at the annual "Right of Renewal" and the news that they have been named traitors to the White Flame after the shocking revelatons of "The Gift", which causes them once again to flee.
Their journey is conslantly blighted by setbacks, and the constant threat from both Arkan and other Bards. Mearad also beings to fear "the darkness" within her own heart, as she begins to wonder about herself, her powers and her place in Edil-Amarandh's destiny. This fear resolves itself into a constant tension between herself and her mentor, Cadvan and which leads Maerad into an almost unforgivable act that may threaten their relationship and Mearad's welbeing forever.
*Spoiler warning for parts of "The Gift"*
The third book is named The Crow. The Crow is due out in Australia and the UK in May 2006 and in the US in 2007.
"The Crow" will follow the journey of Mearad's brother, Hem, as he begins his training as a Bard in the southern school of Turbansk (this book occurs during the same time as the events of "The Riddle"). Hem has difficulties fitting in in this strange land, not knowing the language and finding it hard to make friends after being a loner for so long. All the while the Nameless is building his armies to the east and the threat of war is growing. In this climate Hem makes his first friend and beings to discover his own unique talents and his place in the "Treesong".
The fourth and last book is to be named The Singing and is yet to be written.