"Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan; the four powers of the world, all once great and mighty, now yielding to the effects of centuries of war. A King of Oak and a Queen of Yew sit on the thrones of the land - the King a drunken lout, the Queen a magical schemer. Ash and Rowan are nearly dead, their totem trees in the sacred square withering away to nothing.". "All is falling into place for the power-hungry Queen Ysa, who will stop at nothing to ensure the continuation of her line. Her expertise in the dark arts all but guarantees her success, and the wooden rings of royalty have transferred themselves to her hands of their own accord. Nothing and no one escapes her notice or her wrath. Only one thing may stand in her way: a long-ago prophecy that a Daughter of Ash will one day rise again to reclaim her rightful place on the throne. Queen Ysa's shrewd machinations have seen to it that none of the House of Ash remains alive, and she is content that her rule is secure." "But deep in the swamps, in the care of the witch-healer all need and fear, there is a young girl-woman who cannot be the witch's daughter; a girl who, in fact, by virtue of her beauty, elegance, and simmering power can only be a Daughter of Ash, the one who will rise to fulfill the prophecy - and the destiny of her birthright."--BOOK JACKET.