Read for the Once Upon a Time IV Reading Challenge.
The Grey Isles lie in some unnamed sea, a land of sorcerers and warriors, whose people are well aware that the Lords of Chaos have entered their land, dooming it to fall beneath the waves.
The stories in this book are of a number of different people from this doomed land: Thieras, princess of the royal house; Eirech, a minstrel; Dhan, Thieras’ warrior cousin; Siod’h, priest from the Sorcerer’s Isle; and Ainn, an adept who sees the future. The characters pass in and out of other stories to some degree as the people of the Grey Isles decide how they will live their last days.
My favorite story was that of Dhan, who leaves the Grey Isles with a trusted crew of seventeen, to travel to the fabled city of Aprilioth, knowing that he will never return to his home. His journey passes through strange lands, each more fascinating than the last.
This was an interesting book. It has elements of myth and legend from the British Isles, but is not of those old stories. The writing is beautiful, and the settings beautifully drawn. I found this book used. It’s published in 1983, and I have no idea how easy it would be to find these days. I’m glad that I happened upon it.