Lynn Flewelling is one of the best at creating complicated stories peopled by diverse characters, each with his own agenda,and each absolutely believable_ This tale of a girl disguised by magic and brought up as a boy is engrossing and compelling as itexptores the honorable reasons behind dishonorable deeds--and the dark consequences that follow a single desperate act.Flewelling accompanies her skill at stow-telling with an exquisite level of detail that brin~s her entire world to life. A most satisfy-ing tale for readers already familiar with her Nightrunner series---for others, an excellent introduction to the joys of a Fiddling fantasy.

As the orphaned nephew of the king, trusted companion to his cousin, and second heir to the throne of Skala,Prince Tobin's future is dear. But not as clear as the spring in which a hill witch shows him his true face- and his secret destiny...

Now Tobin carries a burden he cannot share with even his closest friend, Ki, his squire. He is to rule-not as he is but as he was born: a woman. Given the shape of a boy by dark magic, Tobin is the last hope of the people of lllior- those who desperately seek a return to the old ways, when Skala was ruled by a line of warrior queens. They still believe that only a woman can lift the war, famine, and pestilence that have run rampant through the land since the king usurped his half sister's throne. It is these outlaw wizards and witches who protect Tobin- and it is for them that Tobin must accept his fate.

With the unsuspecting yet fiercely loyal Ki at his side, Tobin must turn traitor against the only blood ties he has left. He must lift the masks of Skala's rulers to show their true colors- before he can reveal the power of the woman within himself...