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In Wyvern's Court, the cool, collected avians and the passionate serpiente keep an uneasy peace since the marriage of their leaders, detailed in the books Hawksong and Snakecharm. Even with their shared shape-shifting abilities, years of hatred can't be wiped out in a single generation. Yet the princess, Oliza, the first mixed-blood child in the land, keeps hope for the future alive.
Yet even as avian and serpiente eye each other warily, there is another race maligned by both - the falcons. With powerful magic and a cold, cruel empress, they incite nothing but fear. Despite this, Nicias, Oliva's most trusted friend since childhood, is a falcon born to parents who were stripped of their magic. When his own magic suddenly appears, he must face his heritage for the first time. Sent to the falcon stronghold of Ahnmik, he finds the land and the young woman assigned to guide him strangely enchanting. Which tie is stronger - his loyalty to the princess or his destiny as a falcon?
While Amelia Atwater-Rhodes first emerged on the young adult literature scene with tales of witches and vampires, she has really come into her own with the Kiesha'Ra series. She is especially skilled at creating unique worlds populated by noble yet conflicted characters. At times they speak with a gravity that would seem silly in other situations but fit her constructed realities perfectly. The previous two books in the series serve as background to Falcondance, but it works as a standalone novel since the plot focuses on a previously unknown character, and any essential information is glossed over in the narrative. While the major events of the story wrap up nicely, there are definitely a few open-ended developments sure to make readers anticipate the next volume in the series scheduled to arrive later this year.
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Falcondance: The Kiesha'ra Volume Three