«The Quartered Sea» by Tanya Huff

Fourth in the epic fantasy series from the author of No Quarter: “Good reading in the same vein as [Mercedes] Lackey’s The Last Herald-Mage series” (Locus).Benedikt can control the element of water through music, but water is the only element Benedikt can sing, which isolates him from his fellow bards. When the queen of Shkoder outfits a voyage to discover the lands across the sea against the Bardic captain’s objections, Benedikt is the only bard willing to brave the captain’s wrath and volunteer.In uncharted waters, a storm strikes and the kigh of the deep seas rises. All of Benedikt’s skill is unable to save ship or crew. Shipwrecked in an unfamiliar country and unable to send word to Shkoder of the ship’s fate, Benedikt must play the part he’s been given: a pawn in the game of politics and religion between brother and sister—who both intend to use his song to their advantage.As the queen waits for word, the kigh of the deep seas rises again . . .Praise for the Quarters series“I love the way Huff writes. She creates rich, complex fantasy worlds, populates them with likeable characters, includes lots of humor and action, bright, lively dialogue, and in this case, an ‘all’s well that ends well’ ending that is perfect. Unputdownable.” —Voya“A richly complex story set in a magical world that could almost be a part of our own history.” —Science Fiction Chronicle“This isn’t fluff, and it isn’t light—but it has so much heart to leaven its dark moments.” —The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction