SOLVED. Trilogy/Possibly YA def Fantasy/Father is a general(?) invading army kills him, leaves daughter and bastard son to start a year long revolt, there's a sword. [s]

[Pyxiscetus]

Read around 2005-2008? It was a trilogy.

The father was a general or something along that line. He faces an invading army and loses, tries to challenge their leader by drawing a circle around him and instead of honoring him the invaders shoot him with arrows. It's witnessed by his daughter and bastard son.

It goes into how they have a year to stop the invaders due to a rule they have. If they manage to hold out for a year then they are able to retain their country but still be apart of the invading one.

In the process, the son goes off to distant lands to look for a sword? while the daughter remains at home to fight?

The words tacti and centi were used. One of the covers had a sword on it, possibly orange and blue?

[Sandra]

The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell. https://www.goodreads.com/series/50425

I loved these books and had to search hard for them back in the day because the first book was originally published as "Flame."

[Pyxiscetus]

YES! Thank you!

[Sandra]

Pyxiscetus wrote: "YES! Thank you!"

You're welcome! Enjoy! :)