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Fantasy Romance

Recommended reading sequence: Predestined, Fey Born, and White Fells.  These books are based on the myths of ancient Ireland.

Book Description

Fey Born

Love will find that destiny has a price.

Born with a weak heart and an odd birthmark on her stomach, Lana is a frail farm girl of twenty summers. Never could she have imagined being magically fated to become a fey host for the sword spirit, Valor  — and now the magical sword is missing, stolen from the vaults of Tara, the faery home. The disturbing wonders altering Lana's life have only just begun.

Entering Lana’s life is Keegan, a fearless fey guardian of the waters who must find the magical sword for his king before time runs out.  Believing only the physically strong deserve life, Keegan never expects to meet his match in the small, spirited beauty he needs to guide him to the sword.

Across dangerous passage tombs beset with enemies to the shadowy worlds below, through battles of the spirit and body, they find that destiny has a price — for even a forbidden and fevered love must be set aside when all the land lay in peril.

And as an invading army sweeps Eire’s shores, a sickly girl must find the strength to face her mysterious fate and claim a guardian’s heart  —  a passion that once unleashed, could lead them both into a terrible darkness or the light of a forever love.

Excerpt 

Fey Born

Prologue

Eire

Long ago

---

In nightshade and legend, they linger, a forever trespass into the past and present, a forever warning to those who would defile and ruin the living lands and waters.

Deep in the ancestral memory of the faery realm, they reside, answering to the given name of Guardian.  Remote beings of just cruelty, they are intolerant of weakness and flaw, intolerant of ugliness, rules, and falsity.  Intolerant of most things, mortal men believe, knowing a guardian’s punishment to be swift, sure, and lethal.

They are like no other.

Beautiful.

Selfish.

Male bred.

They are fey born, primordial, powerful, and none have ever changed...  until now. 

Chapter 1

 Drumanagh, Eire

Spring

---

He stood at the edge of the high ranging meadows where the horses of the tribe grazed. Darkly lashed eyelids closed in exquisite pleasure.  Slowly, his head tilted back; long brown hair flowing down his bare back in dampening glints of red and gold.  It had begun to rain, a gathering of gray clouds muting the light of the late afternoon.  He sighed deeply, tasting the sweet air of Meitheamh, June, in his lungs and savoring the touch of cool raindrops upon his naked and responsive flesh.

He was fey born, a purebred creature of sensations and selfishness. A legendary guardian of the waters, he was crafted of cruelty and enchantment, a being to be feared, a being whose true form must remain secret.  He knew he should not be here and thought of the olden ways with a sharp surge of resentment.  There was no sense in being bored, he thought rebelliously.

Wearing his mortal appearance, he lived among the tribe of the Tuatha Dé Danann now.  A fierce, loyal, and constant warrior — he slowly grinned — answering to the given name of Keegan.  The name meant highly spirited.  An admirable name, he chuckled darkly.  If only they knew…

Lana, a farm girl of unimpressive worth, at least that is how she thought of herself, stumbled back behind the ancient oaks and nearly dropped the druidess’s basket of herbs.  She had been making her customary visit to see Lightning, the aged sorrel stallion, when fat raindrops plopped and splashed upon the land.  Dashing into the tall oaks for cover, a shortcut back to the village, she had never thought to see him.

Like that!

Lana set the basket down on a dry spot beneath a thick canopy of branches and took a moment to catch her breath.  Swiping a drenched blonde curl out of her eyes, she peered around the thick tree trunk, unable to help herself.  The fading light caught the silver glint from the cuff he always wore on his right wrist.

She looked at the lines of his body and blinked to clear her vision.  Lightning and three black mares were calmly grazing around the naked warrior in acceptance of the afternoon rain showers.  From what she could see, Keegan’s silvery gray eyes were closed; his angular face tilted upward as if listening to the rain’s chant of faery whispers.  The corners of his lips slowly curved and Lana had the impression that the raindrops were singing to him of their joyous journey from the stormy clouds to the green land below.

She watched him in silent fascination as any female would.  His lean, well-built body was turned slightly away from her, offering a splendid view of long limbs and curved buttocks.  If she leaned right, she might get a glimpse of that very impressive male part of him.  Good sense took hold, however, and she decided to stay under the protection of the trees.  Besides, she could see him well enough from here, she reasoned.  He looked taller without clothes.  All that smooth skin, she could just imagine running the tips of her fingers over the ripple of muscle and strength...

Lana drew back.  She must learn to curtail her over active imagination.  She may be impulsive, but she was not stupid.  The gentle sound of the rain pattered consistently in her ears.  She tugged the laces of her damp tunic closer with cold fingers.  Never could she hope to know the remote Keegan in that way, or any warrior, given her frail condition.

He stood not ten horse lengths from her, his dark hair falling in wet plaits down his broad back.  He had not been born of her tribe.  Yet, he had earned the right to belong to the warrior class of the Tuatha Dé Danann.  He had come during the time of shadows only two summers before.  A freeman, he worked hard and trained hard with sword, spear, and shield.  Last year he had fought bravely in the battle of Kindred, the recapturing of their ancestral home from the invaders, yet still he was considered an outsider by many.

He did not partake of their ways.  Nor did he seek payment for his fine skills.  Instead, he had offered to help her father in the fields.  A warrior on a farm, she shook her head in bewilderment and rubbed her wet nose.  If she remained much longer, she might catch a chill, but feminine curiosity had taken hold of her and she could do none other but look.

“Caught in the spring showers too, Lana?”

Lana straightened abruptly in surprise, her hand clenched across her chest.  With flushed stained cheeks, she stared guiltily at the white-haired druidess, Derina.

“Your heart bothers you?” the druidess asked in concern.

“Nay,” Lana choked, embarrassed at being found gaping at the naked warrior.  She took a recovering breath, feeling the familiar twinges inside her chest.  Everyone in the village knew of her weak heart, lack of stamina, and occasional fainting spells.  However, unlike some others, the ancient was always helpful and sympathetic, which was odd since most members of the druid class were callous.  She had heard so, anyway.

“Come to visit that mean-tempered stallion again?” the druidess prompted, moving under the protection of the canopy.  “What be his name?”  Her white brows drew together and then she answered her own question, a common occurrence.  “Lightning, methinks.”

“Aye.” Lana bristled slightly at the description of her friend.  “Lightning is not mean-tempered, at least not to me,” she whispered, hoping the naked warrior could not hear them.  “He has mellowed much over the years.”

The druidess was not listening to her.

She had shifted right and appeared to be looking, if looking could be used to describe one who had no eyes and yet could see.

“Ah,” the ancient said in a hushed tone, understanding immediately.  She pointed her walking stick.  “You be visiting another kind of stallion today.”

Lana turned apple red.  “I am not visiting,” she said firmly in a hushed tone.

“Watching then.”

“I am not watching,” she protested.

The ancient smiled.  “I would.”

Lana looked away, wondering how the blind druidess could possibly know…

“He fascinates you, Lana?”

“Please lower your voice.  I doona wish him to hear us.”

The druidess nodded and hunched her shoulders, leaning forward.  “He fascinates you?” she repeated her question with less volume and more emphasis.

“Aye, he does.”  Lana admitted grudgingly.  Keegan had captivated her interest since he had first come to the tribe two seasons before.  He always smelled clean and fresh like the rain even when soiled with toil and sweat.

“I know,” the ancient replied as if reading her mind.  She tapped a bent finger on a wrinkled cheek.  “I may be one hundred and…”

“…three,” Lana offered.

“What?”

“You are one hundred and three summers.”

“I know how old I am,” the ancient grumbled.  “Now, what did I want to say? Ah, I may be one hundred and three summers, but my fey sight remains strong.  This gift be from our fey brethren.”

“I know.”

“It allows me to see shapes and movement, otherwise I would be walking into trees and tumbling into lochs.”

“I know,” Lana repeated patiently.

Empty eye sockets crinkled in merriment.  “Now tell me, why does he interest you?”

Lana shrugged.  “He is different, ancient.”

“Different how?”

She wished the druidess would keep her voice down.  Taking a moment to stem the flow of her tumultuous thoughts, Lana found she could not describe what she felt and instead blurted out.  “He looks perfect.”

“You think so, do you?”  The druidess laughed and Lana quickly motioned her to lower her tone.

The druidess nodded and then whispered, “I would not call him perfect, young Lana.  His voice is too deep.”

“Nay, ’tis not.”

“His hands and feet look a wee bit large, methinks.”

She shrugged.  Mayhap.  “His eyes are the pale gray color…

“… of rainstorms,” the ancient continued in hushed gaiety.

“Aye,” Lana answered in all seriousness.  “And his ways are different than ours too.”

“This be true, yet has he not earned honor among us?”

“Aye,” Lana acknowledged easily, having seen the quickness and strength of his battle skills.

“What else be bothering you about him, young Lana?”

She took a breath.  “Derina, a warrior does not work on a farm. ”

“That one does.”

The druidess made her answer sound so simple.  Lana pointed over her shoulder.  “He stands in the rain unclothed.”

“Mayhap he needs a bath.”  Leaning heavily on the walking stick, the ancient looked around her, lips curving in what seemed to Lana a bold appreciation indeed.

“I have decided the shape of those hands and feet be perfect.  Our fey brethren could not have crafted a finer male form.”  The ancient laughed softly at a secret known only to her.  “Do you wish to discuss another part of him then?”

Author's Notes

Fey Born

Myth, magic, and archaic legacy are open to many interpretations.  Most historians believe ancient Ireland was invaded and settled by successive tribes over different periods.  The book, Leabhar Gabhála or Lebor Gabala Erren — the “Book of Conquests” or the “Book of Invasions of Ireland” — contains the stories of these successive invasions and settlements.  Some believe this book does more of the retelling of legends than of truths — I will let the wiser of us decide.

Another resource for Fey Born comes from the Cath Maige Tuired, The Second Battle of Mag Tured (Moytura), translated by Whitley Stokes in 1891.  This story centers mostly on the race of Irish deities or faeries, known as Tuatha Dé Danann.

I found the ancient text at:  http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/irish/2nd_moytura.html.

There are many other sources offering analysis and the retelling of those times.  Myth and the real world could be argued from many points of view.  I invite you the reader to draw your own conclusions.

Remarkably, some of the locations in Fey Born continue to exist today.  Knowth and Dowth, the Faery Mound of Darkness, are passage tombs in Ireland.  They are located north of the River Boyne.  Official tours are available from the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, although Dowth, at the time of this research, was closed to visitors.

Reviews

Fey Born

Here is what the reviewers and readers are saying:

4-1/2 Stars!  Fantastic, Keeper

"If you like high fantasy a la Patricia McKillip, you will thoroughly enjoy this Celtic tale. The second in Gray’s Faery Faith series, this story immerses readers in an ancient Irish world of druids, goddesses, fey guardians and magical swords. The story is instantly enthralling, as you're swept into the search for the sword and the forbidden feelings between a mortal and a fey.  Though this is the second of three stories to be set in this realm, it stands alone just fine and defines the term page-turner..."

~ Romantic Times BOOKclub magazine

 4-1/2 Stars!

"... This was a rich and well put together fantasy tale, full of magical creatures good and bad.  The story was woven in such a way, you felt yourself walk the paths of faerie with your hero and heroine... This is a must read for all of those who wish to be transported to the magical and sometimes all too fierce and bloody land of the fey."

~ Affaire de Coeur magazine

"Bringing you 25-years of honest reviews"

"...This passionate romance is filled with explicitly detailed descriptions that make for easily visualization  ... This story demonstrates how love awakens and grows between two people and how much some are willing to pay for the freedom to love as their heart desires. Fey Born by R. Garland Gray is a magical love story that I recommend to readers that enjoy adult fantasy. "

~ Anita, The Romance Studio

www.theromancestudio.com

5 Stars  for both Predestined and Fey Born!

"I wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much my sister and I have enjoyed your first two books in your Faery Faith Series.  We are Patiently waiting for the next book in the series!!!!"

~ Tammie King, Night Owl Romance

 www.nightowlromance.com 

"Impossible romances, especially those with an inherent sacrifice involved, hold an undeniable appeal, even though they bring tears to your eyes. Lana and Keegan's story is such a tale. If you enjoyed Predestined, this one is even better."

~ Amanda Killgore, Eternal Night

Eternal Night

"...  Fey Born is a fantastically written, solid romantic fantasy that readers of all interests will enjoy for the sweet love story or for the epic quest...."

~ Fantasy Romance Reviews

Fantasy Romance Writers

4 Blue Ribbons

"... A must read for any faerie fanatic!...  Ms. Gray has written a unique style to the faerie theme. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about faeries."

~ Romance Junkies

www.romancejunkies.com

4 Hearts

"...This is one of the better fantasies coming forth from this interesting publishing house. Look out Tor and Baen, Medallion Press is here to compete and win."

~ Heartland Reviews

http://www.heartlandreviews.com/SciFi.html 

"...Romantic fantasy readers will enjoy this magical and enchanted tale of two-star crossed lovers who must fight against overwhelming odds to achieve their goal. Lana who always thought she was weak learns she has the strength to hold her own with her fairy man and love him with all her heart. R. Garland Gray has the magic touch when it comes to writing fantasy."

~  Harriet Klausner

http://alternative-worlds.com

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Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008  R. Garland Gray.  All rights reserved. The books listed herein are the property of R. Garland Gray and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.  Chapters listed may not be the final version of the book.