The Rival

Twenty years after they first tried to conquer Blue Isle, the Fey return to seize the strategic island, led now by the all-powerful Black King Rugad. But the epic battle between patriarchs over control of their joint heir threatens to annihilate both bloodlines. In a thrilling battle for the rule of two nations, Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s brilliant storytelling pits family against family in a gripping saga borne of love and power.

From its sweeping opening to a shocking attack, this no-holds-barred saga furthers Rusch’s mastery as the greatest storyteller of our time.

“A very good, very large fantasy...nicely done and with a particularly satisfying and unexpected resolution.”

—Science Fiction Chronicle on The Sacrifice

“Rusch’s greatest strength…is her ability to close down a story and leave the reader feeling that the author could not possibly have wrung any more satisfaction out of the piece.”

—The Kansas City Star

“Kristine Kathryn Rusch integrates the fantastic elements so rigorously into her story that it is often hard to remember she is not merely recording the here and now.”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“Whether [Rusch] writes high fantasy, horror, sf, or contemporary fantasy, I’ve always been fascinated by her ability to tell a story with that enviable gift of invisible prose.  She’s one of those very few writers whose style takes me right into the story—the words and pages disappear as the characters and their story swallows me whole…. Rusch has style.”

—Charles de Lint