After attempting to burn Mairenn Morgan at the stake for witchcraft, her cousin, an evil wizard pursues Mairenn to the new world of Colonial America. There he links with an Indian Shaman, granting the Shaman power and even immortality in exchange for his support in pursuing first Mairenn and then three more generations of women descending from Mairenn. Because Mairenn's blood holds the one threat to the wizard's ultimate victory.When her parents are murdered, Bedelia (Spring Rain) Connall is adopted by Micahel Connall, who raises her as a white settler, but mixed-blood Bedelia wants to claim her Cherokee self as well as her white. When she finally has a chance to visit the capital of the Cherokee Nation, however, Bedelia discovers that this ancient people is under attack both from within and from their white neighbors who see the Indians as blocking their desperate need for land. Bedelia attracts the attention (and lust) of three men--white Indian Agent Julian, Indian Warrior Hector (Fire Panther) and shaman Black Eagle. All want Bedelia--desire her for her intelligence, wit, and beauty. All also see a hint of her power--with Black Eagle in particular able to reach out to that power. Bedelia fears Black Eagle, desires Fire Panther, and feels intellectually bound to Julian. Discovering and heeding her own heart will prove to be a challenge--just as it was for her grandmother, the original Spring Rain.Author Kristina O'Donnelly spins a compelling story of magic, the attempts by both Indian and whites to create a sustainable Cherokee Nation, Colonial and early US history, and four generations of women who must confront both the powers of evil and the difficulties of chosing which man to love.
