Product Description

Yrth... a place of ordered beauty -- and undreamed of terror. A magical realm where winged Amaranthine hide in the shadow of humankind, while selfishly exploiting them. A universe of countless dimensions; where an unwary sideways step might carry you to Death's silent Kingdom -- or beyond, to the very heart of the rising Gyre. Now into this world comes Katrione Estelle du Chesne, a born healer. The Amaranthine need her, for she is destined to become the Vessel of the Goddess Lalluna and a pawn in the battle against their enemy, the dark Angellus. And Katrione's fellow citizens, in the nation of Beaumarais, are also desperately in need of a healing touch, as they suffer through an endlessly bloody civil war. The difficult choices that Katrione must make -- between humankind and Amaranthine -- true love and responsibility -- sworn oath and unhappy truth, make for compulsive reading. Heart of Hythea is the first book in the "Song of the Arkafina" series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3536685 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 348 pages

Customer Reviews

Complex and Compelling
Heart of Hythea is the first volume in a four book series that falls loosely in the romance/fantasy genre. It is set in an imaginary universe called the Gyre, peopled both by humans and god-like beings called the Amaranthine. Be warned; it is sometimes difficult to tell them apart, or know who is an enemy or a friend. The story operates on several different levels and can be confusing at times, though the appendices help quite a bit. The heroine, Katkin du Chesne, doesn't always do the right thing, and her relationship with her childhood hero Jacq is bittersweet, but the end of the book is satisfying. No cliffhangers leading to the next book, but I'll be looking forward to reading it.

Fun story set in a fascinating world
Heart of Hythea follows the adventures of Katrione (Kat, Katkin) du Chesne from childhood through her first "trial by fire" if you will inside the Heart of Hythea.

I found it interesting and compelling. Kat is a Juvenie (Francis has invented/adopted a rich language for her world, fortunately she includes a glossary at the end) which is sort of an nurse practitioner intern who possesses special healing gifts. She also has a special relationship with Lalluna, a winged goddess who Kat calls on from time to time for help or advice. While spurning the unwanted advances from Tomas de Vigny, she reunites with her childhood idol Jacq Benet. She marries Jacq, and soon discovers that Jacq is not the simple blacksmith he claims to be. She begins using her own powers to heal the sick despite the ban on such things. When Beaumarais is threatened with destruction, Kat and Jacq both must follow their own paths, risking their love and their lives to save the city and each other.

Francis has created an interesting world with a lot of details and hidden meanings. There seems to be a pantheon of spirits wrestling for control of the world, and she gives a brief insight into their battle before each chapter. I'm thinking this will be played out much more throughout the Arkafina series. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.