[close] A group of witches gathers in the town of Tunston, on a simple undeveloped world far distant from our own. Magda, Tephee, Sylvia, and Leenan each have their own unique gifts of power. Witches are not trusted in this distant world, in which magic works but technology, which is associated with a widespread religious order referred to as "the Arc," is feeble. In the spring, a group of exiles arrives in Tunston. They bring news of the overthrow of King Armand of Tyne, deposed by his cousin with the aid of a witch, Zuleika Tallan. Discovering the deposed king is still alive, the witches decide to journey to Tyne. Meeting the injured king at last, Sylvia announces her intention to defeat Zuleika regardless of his wishes. King Armand is irresolute, and the mysterious enmity of the exiled captain of the castle guard with the king boils over and affects the group. Magda and her friends must work to overcome their own problems before the true king and his ragtag army are destroyed. On their journey they discover that one of them holds the key to ultimate victory, but will she learn to control her power in time to avert disaster? In the end, all that the witches can count on is their own inner strength - and each other.

Narrelle M. Harris currently lives in Melbourne, Austrailia. [close]