Duchess Rising — Alison Naomi Holt

If you love stories about smart, strong, capable women, swords, kings and queens and Spirit Guides, sprinkled with a touch of lesbian romance, this is the book for you. In Book Two of the fantasy series, The Seven Realms of Ar'rothi, Duchess Aurelia (Bree) Makena, first cousin to the king and the former commander of the elite Huntington's Cavalry, finds herself once more taking up the sword in defense of her king and kingdom. Stormy clouds of war are moving against Anacafria on two fronts; the Tevaiedin, the dark spirits of the seven realms, and Desdamea, the cruel and grasping queen of the neighboring country of Organdy, are both gathering their forces in a bid to dominate and destroy the kingdom. The Duchess finds her loyalties divided between her adopted daughter, who is the only one who can lead a defense against the Tevaiedin and her king, who needs her skills as a warrior and as one of the commanders of his elite troops. Duchess Rising is the second book in a powerful and moving fantasy series by Alison Naomi Holt that will appeal to fans of Anne McAffrey and Mercedes Lackey -- one that blends the lyrical and mystical with pulse-pounding action.