Second in the Chronicles of Westria, Silverhair the Wanderer covers the twenty years between Mistress of the Jewels and The Earthstone, first of the Elemental Quartet.
The Queen of Westria and her child are lost, and only her brother Farin seems to care. His need to learn her fate compels him to leave Westria behind and wander from Elaya to Aztlan, from Normontaine to the Far Isles, even as far as the Sea of Grass.
He leaves the name of Farin Harper behind him and becomes Silverhair the Wanderer, and his quest for his sister becomes a search for the Spirit of Music. Along the way he meets the mysterious whistling girl called the Willa, charms ghosts in the caverns of the Ancient Ones, masters his craft at the College of Bards and becomes the lover of the Queen of Normontaine. At each turning of his life he encounters his old foe, Caolin, and earns the sorcerer’s undying hatred. But the quest continues, and it is only when his muse leads him home at last that he finds what he had sought all along…
US Cover US Back Cover Copy He was master of magic, music, and the sword.
Silverhair the Wanderer
His path led him through a world of sorcery and strike; through a life of minstrely and magic. His quest was to master the mysteries of ancient craft and lore; his goal was to find and rescue those torn from him by war.
Once he was Farin of Hawkcrest Hold; and then Farin Harper, Knight of Westria.
Now he was simply–Silverhair the Wanderer.
Protected only by his sword, his harp, and his songs, pursued by a powerful evil wizard, Silverhair’s road led to goddesses and ghosts, man-monsters and madness, scholars and shapeshifters, the palaces of royalty and the tents of ragged nomads. But for all the perils he braved, for all the dangers he conquered, Silverhair’s goal remained unseen, elusive, a mystery beyond solution…
Because his beloved sister and her son, heir to the throne of Westria, had vanished–utterly vanished–from the face of the earth.
Cover commentary by Diana and Lorrie: “Oh, right–“Silverhair the Surfer”. While you do get muscles from harping and sword-swinging, they’re not those muscles. Obviously, he’s been hitting the gym.”
“And what’s that fluttery cheruby thing?”
(with saccharine brightness) “A flower fairy!”
“…aaaaand is that in the text?”
“Um, no.”Actually, there’s a longer story here. Tom Kidd is a fine painter, but when he did the original painting he had apparently never seen a real harp. So the picture had Silverhair holding a thing like a Victorian autoharp on his knee as if he were afraid it would explode if he actually tried to play it.
When Dave Hartwell sent me a proof of the picture, he said he hoped he liked it, as there wasn’t time to change it. This translated to, “I know you won’t like it, but don’t make waves.” Unfortunately I was hoping this book would sell to folk harpers, and with this thing on the cover, no one would believe I knew what I was talking about. Apparently this was a valid marketing consideration, and they actually sent the painting back to the artist to revise. So sometimes an author actually does have some influence on cover decision. However, the original cover painting did get onto the German edition.
UK Cover UK Rear Cover Copy Once he had been Farin of Hawkcrest Hold. Then he had been known as Farin harper, Knight of Westria. Now he was simply–Silverhair the Wanderer.
Protected only by his sword, his harp, and his songs, pursued bu a powerful, evil wizard, the path he had to treat led among goddesses and ghosts, man-monsters, madness and shapeshifters, through the palaces of royalty and the tents of ragged nomads.
Yet always his goal lay unseen, elusive, a mystery beyond solution. For he sought his beloved sister and her son, the heir to the throne of Westria. And they had vanished from the face of the earth.
Watch out for The Earthstone–Book Three of the Chronicles of Westria.
Cover Color Commentary by Diana:
Well, that’s better, except he has his sword where his harp ought to be, and his harp where his sword ought to be!
