The Book and the Ring

On Torka, Baroness Penelope Birkenwood, Brenosian Ambassador to Genna, is visited by a member of the Council of Magic and told of a dark spirit in the world looking to exploit divisions and create instability. Penelope is tasked with stopping it with the aid of a ring. George, the young and inexperienced king of Brenos, is being urged by some of his advisors to marry Suzannah, niece of King Francis of Amerton. But doing this will involve a major change of foreign policy which others oppose. When Penelope returns, they make a decision which turns everything upside down. Another country, Korinth, is engaged in a long-running feud with Amerton, under its seemingly mad queen, Marilyn. Penelope is cast on a journey in which she will need to use her wits and diplomatic skills to ease tensions between nations and prevent the dark spirit's power from leading Torka to disaster...'THE BOOK AND THE RING IS AN IMMERSIVE AND INTRICATELY WOVEN WORK OF FANTASY. AS WITH ANNE HAMPTON'S PREVIOUS BOOKS, HER SKILL WITH WORD-BUILDING IS AS NUANCED AS IT IS WIDE-REACHING: FROM THE FIRST PAGE WE ARE INTRODUCED TO A VIBRANT NEW WORLD WITH A CAST OF CHARACTERS WHO GUIDE US THROUGH THE STORY, USING NATURAL DIALOGUE WHICH SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDS BEING OVER-EXPOSITORY. THE RELEVANT THEMES OF THE BOOK ARE DEALT WITH TACTFULLY AND DO NOT DETRACT FROM THE PLOT OR RISK BECOMING TOO POLITICAL.' - STEFANIE SEATON, EDITOR, AUSTIN MACAULEY PUBLISHERS