This is book two in the series and again we have the semi prickly female with magic, but this time the male is also a mage who is broken in spirit as well as body. Her husband slain in the many raider raids to her homeland, Druyan decides to not tell anyone, but stead for a year and a day so that the land will be her own. She chooses to use the prisoners taken by her husband before he left to war, but only one is left—Kellis. He is the usual Sue Dexter hero, and yet, this couple work together. The main bitchy character is the housekeeper, and she is tolerable, as we only deal with her in bits.
Druyan is a rather brave woman, and you like both her and Kellis, and root for them throughout. As the thread from book on, Valadan exists, and assists both of them as only a Wind-sired immortal and sentient steed can do. All in all, so much better than book one that I am actually eager to read book three.