by Guy Gavriel Kay

Ysabel is a mixing of two worlds, the now of Ned Marriner and the forever of Ysabel, Phelan, and Cadell.   Ned is spending time in Provence, France with his father, who is a well known photographer on assignment.  When Ned senses the powers of a mysterious being, he is entranced with becoming involved.  That desire brings about fights with wolves, dogs, and druids which leads to the disappearance of Melanie, one of his father’s assistants, who is eventually taken over by Ysabel.  Ned must win the hunt to find Ysabel before Phelan or Cadell, so that they can get Melanie back.  The existence of these beings is disturbing to Ned, his father, and those working with them.  Never knowing what they will do, or to what extent they will go to win the race to be the first to find Ysabel.  Ned experiences severe nausia at one point in the journey, later finding out that the place was the site of a bloody sacrifice over 2,000 years ago.  Those findings do not bring any comfort to the group, nor do the strange powers that Ned seems to have acquired.  It’s a mixed-up time for Ned’s family and friends, but it also brings healing to otherwise broken relationships.