In most regions of Ere to be a Seer, gifted with telepathic and visionary powers, means death—or does it? For some it may mean an even worse fate: destruction of their minds and enslavement by the dark powers determined to conquer the world. In The Ring of Fire, Zephy and the goatherd Thorn are dismayed to discover that they themselves are Seers, but once they know, they are driven to escape from the repressive city of their birth and rescue others, many of them children, who have been captured and imprisoned by its attackers. Only the discovery of one shard of a mysterious runestone offers hope that they can succeed. In The Wolf Bell, set in an earlier time, the child Seer Ramad seeks the runestone itself with the aid of an ancient bell that enables him to control and communicate with the thinking wolves of the mountains, who become his friends. But will they be a match for his enemies, the evil Seers of Pelli, who are determined to control Ramad’s mind and through him, to obtain the stone for their own dark purpose?
These novels, both included here, are the first two of five originally published as the Children of Ynell series. The final three, telling of the characters’ adult lives, are available in an ebook titled The Runestone of Eresu.
From the reviews of The Ring of Fire:
“An intricate adventure story with appeal for fantasy lovers.” --ALA Booklist
“Murphy's artistic talent is evident as she paints with words a lavish tapestry of the forces of good and evil in her fantasy land of Ere.” —Bookrags.com
From the reviews of The Wolf Bell:
“An adventurous tale full of action and suspense.” —ALA Booklist
“The enjoyable tale rises above the pack on the strength of the author's unique and compelling ‘warts and all’ portrayal of Tayba, a multifaceted, real, and fascinating woman.” --School Library Journal
