The Dreamt Child (Earth's Pendulum, Book 3) - Yvonne Hertzberger

Fan of epic fantasy? Got a new Kindle? You could do worse than load it up with the three books of Yvonne Hertzberger's "Earth's Pendulum" series. And lucky for you, my friend, the final volume -- The Dreamt Child -- came out this fall.

Once again, we're back on the One Isle, where Earth is a character in her own right. If She ain't happy, nobody's happy -- which the people of Lieth learned to their sorrow two years previously. A political upheaval there threw the entire region into a drought, and the ensuing famine caused many to lose their lives.

But the ruling family of Bargia -- Lord Gaelen, Lady Marja, and their children -- have survived. And so has Liannis, their seer, and a particular favorite of Earth's. Seers historically have had no mates, but despite the tradition, Earth lets Liannis know that she is to join with (which is to say, marry) her manservant, Merrist. Luckily, the two like each other already, but Liannis has qualms. Earth seals the deal by giving Merrist the powers of a healer, thereby making him more or less an equal to Liannis and her power to truth-read and to see the future.

And Gaelen needs her. He is thinking of returning the neighboring demesne of Catania to self-rule. At the same time, the widow of the man whose mismanagement of Lieth precipitated the famine has petitioned Gaelen to let her rule the city as regent for her young son. Both Liannis and Merrist will need to ply their skills to bring about the outcome that's best for Earth -- which includes convincing the people to accept their own changed relationship.

I foundThe Dreamt Child to be a worthy final volume to the series.

Through Kestrel's Eyes (Earth's Pendulum, Book II) - Yvonne Hertzberger

Sometimes the middle book (or books) of an epic fantasy series drags, or else it seems like an overly-long wind-up for the final volume. The good news is that Through Kestrel's Eyes avoids this dreaded middle-book syndrome.  Hertzberger has changed up enough elements in her tale to keep things fresh and the plot moving along.

This second volume of the Earth's Pendulum series is told by the main character, Liannis, in her own voice.  Liannis, the daughter of arch-spy Klast and his wife, Brensa, is a seer -- perhaps the most powerful of the age.  But her training is interrupted when her teacher dies.  Still, however unprepared she feels, the Earth calls her to take her white garments and assist King Gaelen with rooting out a coup at home, and treachery in neighboring kingdoms.

In the process, Earth is wounded -- and it becomes abundantly clear that Hertzberger's Earth is a sentient being that wants everything to be in balance.  If Mama Earth ain't happy, nobody's happy; famine, disease, and general chaos are the result. It's the job of Liannis to help Gaelen and his queen, Marja, fight to keep things on an even keel.

There's sadness in this book, as death rocks Liannis's world more than once.  But death, too, is part of the cycle of life -- part of the cycle of Earth.

I'm looking forward to reading the third book.

Back From Chaos (Earth's Pendulum, Book 1) - Yvonne Hertzberger

First, let me preface this by saying that I had no idea which book(s) I ought to review first.  I guess I could use the FIFO method -- first in, first out, or in this case it would be more like first read, first reviewed -- except it's been so long that I can't remember now the order I read them in.  So I've resorted to using a random number generator.

Yvonne Hertzberger, your number is up!

"Earth's Pendulum" is a classic fantasy series.  You've got warring nations, political intrigue, criminals, and magic.  In this case, much of the magic is Earth-based.  The Earth in this world is sentient -- an actual Goddess -- and not only does She feel pain when Her children act against Her wishes, but She has the power to enact retribution on them.  Unfortunately, this Divine retaliation often affects people whose actions are only tangentially connected to the wrongdoers.  And when a nation goes rogue, much of the planet can be affected.

You would think the people would recognize this, and act not in their own self-interest, but in the interest of the whole Earth.  Alas, people in this world are just as mean-spirited and pigheaded as on our earth.  Which is good in the sense that otherwise there wouldn't be a story here to tell.

Book One, Back From Chaos, opens in the aftermath of Bargia's invasion of Catania.  Both the Bargian king and his son and heir have been killed in battle, so rule of the newly-united kingdom falls to Gaelen, the second son.  As luck (and Earth) would have it, he's intelligent and kind, and much better suited to the job of king than either his father or his brother -- which is a good thing, because among his first acts is to convince only surviving member of Catania's royal family, Princess Marja, to wed him.

Gaelen has inherited a number of advisors from his father, and one of the challenges he faces is determining whether all of them will be loyal to him.  Among the group is a man named Klast.  Politically astute, unassuming, and trained in the deadly arts, Klast is perhaps Gaelen's best friend, as well as his most trusted adviser.

Owing to a troubled past, Klast believes he must be a loner -- a belief that's sorely challenged when he rescues Marja's maid, Brensa, after she is mistaken for Marja,  kidnapped, and violated.  It falls to Klast to teach Brensa to trust again, and perhaps, even, to love.

Hertzberger has built a believable world with intriguing characters, whose actions and reactions ring true.  Klast, in particular, is a great character.  Here's a guy who can hide in plain sight and whose brain is always clicking, always evaluating every nuance of every situation.  I was glad he was on our side.