The Wizard's Ward (2004)

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The once-peaceful land of Embria now suffers under the occupation of cruel conquerors. Enchantress Maura Woodbury has spent her young life trying to avoid their notice at all costs. Until her wizard guardian reveals that she has been chosen to seek and waken a legendary warrior who is destined to free their people. First she must procure an ancient map which will reveal The Waiting King’s resting place. Since Maura’s journey will lead her into dangerous territory, she is forced to accept a magic-wary outlaw as her escort. But can she trust a man like Rath Talward…or will he prove an even greater threat to her quest? “In her first crossover foray into fantasy, romance writer Hale (Beauty and the Baron) nicely blends the two genres in an upbeat, feel-good story.” - Publisher’s Weekly “Although Hale is renowned for her works of historical romance, she has succeeded in writing a very readable high fantasy with powerful romantic undercurrents. Fast-paced and emotionally riveting, The Wizard's Ward will appeal not only to Hale's throngs of romance followers but also to fans of Patricia A. McKillip's and Juliet Marillier's folklore-powered fantasy novels.” - Paul Goat Allen, Barnes and Noble “The Wizard’s Ward is an engaging tale, not to be missed, especially by anyone who’s previously enjoyed Ms. Hale’s superior writing." - The Old Book Barn Gazette “Fans of Deborah Hale are sure to enjoy The Wizard’s Ward, and I have no doubt that lovers of fantasy romance will eagerly accept Ms. Hale into their fold!” - Courtney Bowden, Romance Reviews Today Queen's Quest Trilogy: Book 1 - The WIzard's Ward Book 2 - The Waiting King Book 3 - The Destined Queen These books contain no graphic violence or physical intimacy. They are suitable for teens as well as more mature readers. Within days of hearing that her publisher was planning to launch a new fantasy imprint, Deborah Hale called her editor and submitted a proposal. Fantasy novels by J.R. R. Tolkein, Ursula LeGuin and Lloyd Alexander had first inspired her to become a writer. Deborah was delighted to be offered a contract for two connected books and thrilled to be the first Harlequin author to write for the Luna imprint! Recently Deborah regained the publishing rights to those books and has revised the stories into a trilogy that she hopes will appeal to an even wider audience. ** From Publishers Weekly In her first crossover foray into fantasy, romance writer Hale ( Beauty and the Baron ) nicely blends the two genres in an upbeat, feel-good story. In the land of Umbria, the people suffer under the yoke of the cruel Hanish invaders, but there is hope: Maura Woodbury, who has learned magic and healing as the ward of the wizard Langbard, suddenly discovers that she's the Destined Queen. Together with the Waiting King (whoever that may be), "they will reclaim and restore his kingdom." Maura's destiny will severely test her stamina and courage, but her biggest challenge is to try not to fall in love with the wrong man-and Rath the Wolf, who joins her in her rather fuzzy quest, seems at first to be entirely the wrong man. Later, Maura finds herself irresistibly drawn to Rath's courage and basic decency. Maura tends to overuse the same tricks and the action stops before the real work of ridding the kingdom of the oppressors begins, but fans of gentler fantasy and romance readers should have no cause to complain. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Deborah Hale spent a decade tracing her Canadian family to their origins in Georgian-era Britain. In the process, she learned a great deal about that period and uncovered enough fascinating true stories to fuel her romance plots for years to come. At the urging of a friend, Deborah completed her first historical romance novel and went on to publish over fifteen more. Deborah lives in Nova Scotia, a province steeped in history and romance! Visit her website at: