The Raptor of the Highlands

Light dances with dark, green fire burns in the night, hopes and dreams follow the wind, to fall in black or white. The prophecy of Thomas Kestrel: outcast, lord, sorcerer, warrior, and perhaps savior of the Kingdoms - if he survives. In The Raptor of the Highlands, the third book in The Sylvan Chronicles, Thomas befriends Oso, a Highlander who helps him escape the mines. Clashing with the High King's reivers, he and Oso begin to infuse hope once more in the people of his homeland. With the help of the Sylvana, men and women dedicated to protecting the Kingdoms from the Shadow Lord and the Dark Horde, Thomas bears the burden of returning to the Highlands to reclaim his proper place. Befriended by a Highlander who would die for him, struggling with his love for a princess who will betray him, Thomas tries to piece together the puzzle of his life - while the High King's assassins, aided by the minions of the Shadow Lord, pursue him. Discovering that not only must he stand against a High King bent on conquering the Kingdoms, but also the Shadow Lord, a creature of ancient evil who threatens to unleash a time of darkness and sorrow on the land, Thomas is torn by his desire to lead his own life and his duty to a people who view him with suspicion and fear. He knows that doing the right thing will only push him farther away from the life he wants for himself - and closer to his own death. Does he have the inner strength to accept his fate and free a people that never had any use for him? Can he prevent the Dark Horde from descending on the Kingdoms and extinguishing the light forever? Does he have the courage and skill to stand against the Shadow Lord?