Kaunovalta Series

The Running Girl "Wonderful escapism. 5 stars!" "Outstanding debut novel and a great new series. Five out of five stars." "Great series...wonderfully developed story and characters. 5 stars." Ally of Eldisle, sword-thegn and sometime mage, bears twin burdens: a complicated heritage, and a penchant for finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Faced with false accusations of treason and murder, she flees to foreign lands, finding enemies all around, friends in unexpected places, and wonders undreamed-of. While struggling to keep an ancient treasure out of unfriendly hands, she is forced to reconcile her preconceptions about the wider world and its myriad inhabitants with her own origins - and to come to terms with the meaning of a bloodline lost in the depths of antiquity, created by ancestors both inhuman and unknown, and with the awful powers they have bequeathed her. Dweorgaheim Secure in the company of her new companions, Ally is drawn into the majesty and mysteries of the ancient realm of the dwarves. From the fires and forges of the foundry towns to the incomparable wonders of Ædeldelf, greatest of the cities of the Deeprealm, she follows her destiny, seeking ever to return the ancient treasure that she has been accused of stealing to its rightful owners. Aided by Frideswide, a priestess of Khallach the Stoneteacher; her husband Wynstan, one-time warrior and veteran of the Iron Guard; and Uchtred, an engineer and master metal-worker, Ally delves ever deeper into the ancient underground fastness of Dweorgaheim – and learns to her dismay that regardless of whether they are buried deep in the earth, or deep in her own past, some secrets are best left undisturbed. Daughter of Dragons Lost in the depths of Dweorgaheim, surrounded by foes, Ally finds friends and allies in unexpected places. As she struggles to reach Underdarrow and the First Forge in order to keep her oath, names from her past reappear to aid her. Locked in a duel to the death with the unchecked hordes of an abomination from beyond the walls of the world, Ally struggles with love and loss, and begins to understand both the true nature and limitless scope of the power that lies within her, and just how costly realizing that power might be.

Secure in the company of her new companions, Ally is drawn into the majesty and mysteries of the ancient realm of the dwarves. From the fires and forges of the foundry towns to the incomparable wonders of Ædeldelf, greatest of the cities of the Deeprealm, she follows her destiny, seeking ever to return the ancient treasure that she has been accused of stealing to its rightful owners. Aided by Frideswide, a priestess of Khallach the Stoneteacher; her husband Wynstan, one-time warrior and veteran of the Iron Guard; and Uchtred, an engineer and master metal-worker, Ally delves ever deeper into the ancient underground fastness of Dweorgaheim – and learns to her dismay that regardless of whether they are buried deep in the earth, or deep in her own past, some secrets are best left undisturbed.

"Wonderful escapism. 5 stars! If you're looking to escape into another time and place then you will greatly enjoy this read." - 'Raven', NC, 14 May 2012 "Outstanding debut novel and a great new series. The author has created a complex yet highly enjoyable world...that I encourage more and more readers of fine fantasy to embrace...one that I cannot wait to enter again and again... Neill is a fresh new face and great addition to the fantasy genre. Five out of five stars for this debut novel." - 'Canuckreader', 15 July 2012 ------------------------------------------------ Ally of Eldisle, sword-thegn and sometime mage, bears twin burdens: a complicated heritage, and a penchant for finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Faced with false accusations of treason and murder, she flees to foreign lands, finding enemies all around, friends in unexpected places, and wonders undreamed-of. While struggling to keep an ancient treasure out of unfriendly hands, she is forced to reconcile her preconceptions about the wider world and its myriad inhabitants with her own origins - and to come to terms with the meaning of a bloodline lost in the depths of antiquity, created by ancestors both inhuman and unknown, and with the awful powers they have bequeathed her. Ally's tale continues in Book II of the Kaunovalta trilogy - Dweorgaheim.

5 Stars - "Great series that really captures the mythology and religion of the ancients. Wonderfully developed story and characters." Lost in the depths of Dweorgaheim, surrounded by foes, Ally finds friends and allies in unexpected places. As she struggles to reach Underdarrow and the First Forge in order to keep her oath, names from her past reappear to aid her. Locked in a duel to the death with the unchecked hordes of an abomination from beyond the walls of the world, Ally struggles with love and loss, and understands at last the nature and limitless scope of the power that lies within her. Denying that power could be as hazardous and as costly as allowing it to burn bright, and wielding it to drive away the darkness that has poisoned the Deeprealm and threatens to tear the world asunder.