Bøger udgivet af Susan L Markloff

The Fourth is a Healer, with talents unrivaled. Restoring what darkness would parch. Born and raised in rural Africa, Eshe Balewa has spent her whole life happy and content in her village. Her tribe is her life. She's never ventured further than the market or the trails to fetch water. The outside world is vast, but she has no need to explore it. Everything she needs and everyone she loves resides within those boundaries.The arrival of her Zaheri a year ago changed Eshe's view of both her life and the world. Now, acutely aware of her special ability to heal, a slow, small warring begins to churn in her heart. As days pass, she's found her gaze drifting to the horizon, wondering what may lie beyond the life she's always known.Despite the intense love she holds for her tribe, there is a new desire building within her to step beyond the borders of her village. Feeling equally at home among both her Zaheri and her tribe, she wishes she could follow the unknown and also remain with her people.Until a day dawns where her life she viewed as unexceptional gets flipped on its head, and decisions on her path are made for her. Thrust into violence and terror, her peaceful village faces something completely foreign to them: war. And though she wishes to see no harm come to those she loves, Eshe cannot bring herself to resort to violence-even to defend.Will her decision to remain passive ensure continued peace for her people, or will it only bring destruction?

Then Seventh and last, the Requisite true, without whom all would be lost.Passionate about most things scientific, Alaster O'Brien has spent the last two and a half years on the frozen continent of Antarctica, advancing his education in astronomy and eager to study the vastness of the universe. Beneath the air of confidence in his choice of career, rests an extraordinary destiny he aches to follow. A destiny tied to the wing bones he feels resting against his ribcage, his superhuman-like senses, and the tendrils of green energy that obey his command.His parents expect him to follow his original plan and remain in the safe confines of a researcher's life. Though he craves knowledge, and excels in his schooling, he yearns to figure out what his abilities mean for his future. With protectors from another world desperately trying to prepare him for a mantle he's actively being pulled away from, Alaster struggles with the love of his parents, the tragic loss of his brother, and his soul's desire to grasp the destiny just beyond his reach.Then, one day, amid the barren landscape he calls home, a vicious enemy bent on Alaster's destruction forces him to make a decision. Unprepared for the physical and emotional toll of an attack on his life, the last and final Human-Born meant to be an unmovable piece of the prophecy may fail to stand against such a ruthless opponent.Will Alaster's lack of training result in further tragedy for his family? Can the shadowy wisp of a voice calling out to him really be his salvation? Or is it leading him toward his demise?

Sixth brings the Scholar, seeker of wisdom, whose gifts allow truth to chime.Having spent her life constantly compared to her sister, Sophia Gonzalez's confidence has never had a chance to take root, let alone blossom. Doing everything in her power to do right by her family, she still feels she's more a burden than a gift. Timid, shy, and more likely to steer to a book than a boy, she's reminded on a daily basis of her shortcomings. Despite her intellect, ability to learn languages, and retain the smallest bits of knowledge, she is known only for her mistakes.Meanwhile, the otherworldly protectors trying to equip her for her task as a fabled Human-Born are an enigma to Sophia. While she likes them, and does enjoy spending time with them, she's unsure how to respond to their gentleness toward her, or their small affirmations and soft smiles.Over the last year, her nights have been filled with vivid dreams, becoming increasingly more lifelike, but also distracting her from her family's demands. Though she desires desperately to be a good daughter and earn her parents' acceptance, she cannot deny that her destiny pulls at her.When trouble finds her, and the appearance of enemy fighters flying overhead thrusts Sophia's secret into the light of day, her entire life is flipped upside down, leaving her wondering if perhaps all her mistakes would doom her to be unlovable.Will she be able to find the value within herself, and take on a mantle she thinks is too big for her? Or will her world crumbling around her leave her unsuited for the task ahead?

Third comes the Warrior with fury unbridled, one call will bring armies to march.After being orphaned as a boy, Takeo Yoshi has grown up among protectors from another world. Living in a dojo, his world is steeped in training and mastering the extraordinary abilities he has as a Human-Born hybrid. Under the guidance of his Zaheri, Takeo spends his days refining his fighting skills and spends his nights slaying dragons. He's confident, bordering on arrogant, when it comes to his talents, and being surrounded by masters of martial arts, hasn't helped to dampen his brashness.Despite how much he loves his life, Takeo cannot deny that a part of him feels dissatisfied. Aching for the approval of his Zaheri, he strives to become the warrior he believes they expect him to be.But when an enemy with a thirst for carnage and chaos strikes at them, the boy that believed himself unshakeable becomes confronted with his greatest fear: losing the only family he has. Faced with a level of fury Takeo didn't know he had, he realizes that he would do anything to keep those he cares about safe.Against a monstrous opponent, will Takeo be strong enough to control his emotions, or will his wrath ignite the flames of his own destruction?