Dawnlands

The third installment of Gregory’s “Fairmile” series (following Dark Tides and Tidelands) begins just a short time before the Glorious Revolution. Alinor’s brother Ned is returning home to England with an unusual companion—Rowan, a young Pokanonet man whom Ned purchased to keep him from being slavery. Most of England is in turmoil with the Catholic James II ruling the land. His wife, Mary, finally delivers a son—a Catholic heir to the throne, the final straw for those who fought against the monarchy just a few years previously. Amidst the chaos, Livia, the woman who abandoned her baby to Alinor’s family, returns to ultimately wreak havoc. With several story lines advancing at once, it can be challenging to keep the characters straight. However, with Gregory’s usual careful attention to detail, several plot points are resolved by the end of this epic. A surprising new plot line is introduced at the very end of the novel, clearly indicating this series will continue.