Temper and Substance

Sorrenthae has no idea why her brother Barrakind, King of Beorgath, considers her such a thorn in his side. She has her own problems to deal with: her widowed mother has remarried and Sorrenthae has to navigate blending into her new step-family without losing her independence, meet the expectations of both herself and her two mentors - the sword master and the enigmatic court healer, while making the sometimes uneasy transition into womanhood. There's also her and her step-brother Ythred's growing affection for each other to complicate things even further. Following the loss of her mother and a subsequent ill-fated encounter with Barrakind, his influence and malice begin to grow, with repercussions for both her and her step-family. When Barrakind attempts to invade her adopted homeland, Sorrenthae finds herself in the roles of both hunter and prey, in an attempt to save Ythred from her brother's dark intentions. The outcome, however, is not something she had ever anticipated.