Atop the the nar Cenfeal, Bethesela takes the Keystone, and the Quill of Binding drifts into the wind. With the stone and the blood of all four Winter’s Daughters, the Dark Queen has all she needs to break the Keystone and begin the chain of events that will free Gorath the Bound.
Nohrjane, the immortal wife of the Cenfeal Rai, gathers the Daéfinlyr and races to stop her. Along the way, Orin wrestles with the horror of his true identity. His trust wanes as his power grows.
When Bethesela fails on the island, the chase takes Orin and his companions into Gorath’s mirror world of Saéthenghal. Aided by creatures of legend, they cross the flat grey sea to join forces with a long-simmering rebellion determined to end Bethesela’s oppressive reign.
In Saéthenghal Orin emerges, seemingly victorious, but when the Quill of Binding falls into the wrong hands, Fagen Cane travels through the mountains with both the will and the way to release Gorath.
Orin and the rest must traverse the forests of the lor’nordalus to enter the Empty Lands. There, history repeats, planting the seeds for events that will forever change Ganelon and the very Tapestry of Time.
Atop the the nar Cenfeal, Bethesela takes the Keystone, and the Quill of Binding drifts into the wind. With the stone and the blood of all four Winter’s Daughters, the Dark Queen has all she needs to break the Keystone and begin the chain of events that will free Gorath the Bound.
Nohrjane, the immortal wife of the Cenfeal Rai, gathers the Daéfinlyr and races to stop her. Along the way, Orin wrestles with the horror of his true identity. His trust wanes as his power grows.
When Bethesela fails on the island, the chase takes Orin and his companions into Gorath’s mirror world of Saéthenghal. Aided by creatures of legend, they cross the flat grey sea to join forces with a long-simmering rebellion determined to end Bethesela’s oppressive reign.
In Saéthenghal Orin emerges, seemingly victorious, but when the Quill of Binding falls into the wrong hands, Fagen Cane travels through the mountains with both the will and the way to release Gorath.
Orin and the rest must traverse the forests of the lor’nordalus to enter the Empty Lands. There, history repeats, planting the seeds for events that will forever change Ganelon and the very Tapestry of Time.
Salanath sat alone at the back of the room. She ran her fingers along the arm of the big chair to her right. She didn’t know her trees as well as an adopted child of the breynah lor should, but she knew that long ago, someone had carved this chair from the trunk of an oak. Now, someone came every day to polish it, so the beige wood shone even in the shadows. The chair belonged to the breynah lor. When her mother sat upon it, it looked cozy and warm. Empty now, it looked lifeless and cold. The whole room felt cold without her mother.
And her sister Daevlyn.
Salanath wrapped her cloak around her shoulders. She was nearly asleep when she heard familiar footsteps on the floor. Ernaén, the Mistress of Arcanum, came to stand before her with the folding table and the deck of silver tiles.
“It is time again to draw from the deck of dak ammana kan,” the old woman said.
“Already?” Salanath asked.
“It is the way of the deck,” Ernaén told her. “Once every bell.” She held up a bony finger and cocked her head. “Wait for it.”
The big clock in the room beyond rang four times, each baritone peal sounding in the dying echo of the one before.
“The more we draw,” Ernaén said, “the clearer the reading.”
“But it’s always the same.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps this time, the deck will surprise us.”
Ernaén set up the table. Salanath leaned in as the Mistress drew the first tile and placed it face up. As always, it showed a shoreline dotted with strange trees.
“The Island,” Salanath said.
“The true name?” the Mistress asked.
“Eymors.”
The Mistress smiled and drew the second tile. It showed a skull, a moon, and a sword reflected in a mirror.
“The Reflection,” Salanath said. Before the Mistress could challenge her, she added, “Saéthenghal.”
“Just so,” Ernaén said as she drew the third tile.
The carving also showed trees—more familiar this time. Salanath named the tile as the Mistress placed it on the table. “lor’nordalus.”
“lor’nordalus. The forest—our home, though the meaning eludes me,” Ernaén said. “And now we draw the final tile.”
“The fourth tile is the taelys,” Salanath said. “The anchor.”
“You learn quickly, child.”
Ernaén drew the taelys slower than the first three, clearly wishing it might be different. When Salanath saw her disappointment, she turned away, not wanting to see the face. “Is it the same as always?” she asked.
“It is the Bound One,” Ernaén told her. “He who betrayed the Cenfeal.”
“Gorath,” Salanath whispered.
“Just so, child. Just so.”
I was thrilled when Doug Belair published book 2 of the Daéfinlyr series. I fell in love with his work when reading Daughters of a Winter Night and couldn't wait for book 2 to hit the shelves.
If you had to wait an entire year to see what Time's Tapestry has in store for Orin and his friends, I recommend starting from scratch to really immerse yourself in the magical world of Ganelon and Saéthenghal – I did.
Into the Reflection starts where Daughters of a Winter Night ends, atop nar Cenfeal when Orin d'Shardolay and Nohrjane encountered Bethesela. Orin is forced to come to terms with his troubled past and unknown future. He knows he is at the centre of what is to come, but that doesn't mean he likes or accepts it. With the support of his friends, the daéfinlyr, he tries to stop the Dark Queen from completing her quest: Freeing her husband, Gorath the Bound – an immortal creator who has an axe to grind. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game in which both parties try to gain the upper hand as they work against time, prophecy, and new foes.
The shadow’s black eyes flew wide. Its knife clattered to the ground as its hands flew to the gash in its throat. For a moment, it stood in blood-soaked disbelief. Then, with a wet gasp, its knees buckled. It wavered, toppled forward, and collapsed at Steele’s feet.
When I reviewed Daughters of a Winter Night, I mentioned Doug Belair was a master of worldbuilding, and I stand by that. If you are into magical realism or fantasy, I'm certain the Daéfinlyr series will not disappoint.
Into the Reflection is exciting, funny, and a real page-turner. It is full of lovable characters, thrilling battles, magic, and fantastic imagery. Not to mention the plot twists—while I'm generally quite good at guessing what's next, Doug surprised me time and time again.
“I’d rather eat a bowl of worms,” Nori called back over his shoulder.
In the same instant, someone put a bowl of thick porridge in Orin’s hands. When he felt sure the contents weren’t moving, he put a spoonful of acorn-tasting mush to his lips.
The Daéfinlyr has become my favourite series. How I wish book 3 were available already!
You can read The Daéfinlyr many a time—I know I will read Daughters of a Winter Night and Into the Reflection again when book 3 hits the shelves.