Alison Croggon, author of the Pellinor books.

Pellinor is a fantasy series by Australian author Alison Croggon, spanning four books, the last of which has yet to be released. // For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... In a general sense, a series is a related set of things that occur one after the other or are otherwise connected one after the other. ... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... Look up book in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The series is the retelling of the "Naraudh Lar-Chanë", the Riddle of the Treesong, set in the fictional world of Edil-Amarandh. The story mainly revolves about the character of adolescent girl Maerad, who was forced into slavery along with her mother as a child, after the sacking of the Bard school of Pellinor. A riddle is a form of word puzzle designed to test someones ingenuity and lateral thinking in arriving at a solution. ... When used literally, the word treesong refers to the sound of wind moving through the leaves and branches of one or more trees. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... Look up Story in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... American high school students Adolescence is the period of psychological and physical transition between childhood and adulthood (gender-specific, manhood, or womanhood). ... Two Tamil girls in Tiruvannamalai. ... For other uses, see Slavery (disambiguation). ... Look up mother in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A child (plural: children) is a young human,or an individual who has not yet reached puberty. ... sack-ing ... A bard is a poet or singer, in religious or feudal contexts. ... Students in Rome, Italy. ...

Books

So far the books have been published by Penguin Books in Australia, Walker Books in the UK and Candlewick Press in the US. To publish is to make publicly known, and in reference to text and images, it can mean distributing paper copies to the public, or putting the content on a website. ... Penguin Books is a British publisher founded in 1935 by Allen Lane. ... Candlewick Press, established in 1991 and located in Cambridge, MA is the American division of the English publisher Walker Books. ...

The Gift

Austrlian Cover of "The Gift"

First published in Australia in 2003, the United Kindom in 2004 and in the United States, as "The Naming" in 2005.

The Gift begins with Maerad, in "Gilman's Cot" as a slave, where she has been for most of her life, with few memories of her former life, her mother having died several years before. She is discovered by Cadvan (one of the great Bards), who reveals to her that she too has "the Gift" of the Bards. Cadvan soon discovers that her mother was the leader of the first circle of the destroyed School of Pellinor; it was previously assumed that there were no survivors. Knowing this, Cadvan decides to help her escape, believing that it might not be chance that he came upon possibly the only survivor from Pellinor.

Cadvan finds that Maerad's Gift was unusually powerful for one never formally taught; he begins to suspect who Maerad really is. Cadvan takes her to the School of Innail, to make the presence of a survivor from Pellinor known and to make Maerad a minor bard of Pellinor. During their time there, Maerad obtains a long-forgotten prophecy concerning the Foretold One who will defeat the Nameless One (Sharma).

After their abrupt stay at Innail, Cadvan takes Maerad across Annar, to Norloch, intending to have her instated as a full bard and given her Name, and also to see his old teacher- Nelac. But not is all as it seems in Norloch and Mearad and Cadvan discover that the Darkness has spread to very heart of the Barding world.

The Riddle

The Riddle begins where The Gift left off, with the main characters fleeing Norloch.

First published in Australia in 2004, the United Kindom in 2005 and the book is due for publication in the United States for late 2006.

UK cover of "The Riddle"

"The Riddle" sees Maerad and Cadvan continue the search for Maerad's destiny, which takes them to the lively island school of Busk and north to the realms of the Pilanel and finally to the very heart of the realm of the Ice Witch, Arkan (Minion of the Nameless One). While in Busk Maerad, for the first time, feels as though she has found a place where she may belong, meanwhile Cadvan continues the search for the mysterious "Treesong", the key to Mearad's destiny. Maerad also begins to explore her powers and their full potential (with some humourous outcomes). But their peace is shattered by dark events at the annual "Right of Renewal" and the news that they have been named traitors to the White Flame after the shocking revelatons of "The Gift", which causes them once again to flee.

Their journey is constantly blighted by setbacks, and the constant threat from both Arkan and other Bards. Maerad also beings to fear "the darkness" within her own heart, as she begins to wonder about herself, her powers and her place in Edil-Amarandh's destiny. This fear resolves itself into a constant tension between herself and her mentor, Cadvan and which leads Maerad into an almost unforgivable act that may threaten their relationship and Maerad's wellbeing forever.

The Crow

Published in Australia May 2006. The book is due in bookstores July 2006 for the UK and 2007 for the US.

The Crow follows the journey of Maerad's brother, Hem, as he begins his training as a Bard in the southern school of Turbansk (the events in this book occur during the same time as the events of "The Riddle"). Hem has difficulties fitting in in this strange land, not knowing the language and finding it hard to make friends after being a loner for so long. All the while the Nameless is building his armies to the east and the threat of war is growing. In this climate Hem makes his first friend and beings to discover his own unique talents and his place in the "Treesong".

The Singing

The fourth and last book is to be named The Singing and is yet to be written, but is due out in June of 2007. "I haven't started writing The Singing yet, although I've been doing a lot of thinking about it. I'm pretty certain it's going to open in Innail (it's about time we went back there) and that there will be a travelling theatre troupe in there somewhere. I am planning to sit down and write the thing in the second half of next year - I haven't been contracted, but Walker is anxious to get a publication date, and would like to keep the series on track, so that The Singing comes out a year after The Crow like the other books (Walker is kinder to readers than Penguin... ) So, nothing in concrete as yet, but if all goes well The Singing is due out in June 2007." Direct quote from Alison Croggon

Characters

Maerad - an adolescent girl who grew up with her mother, Milana, in Pellinor, then as a slave in Gilman's Cot

Cadvan - a travelling bard who rescues Maerad from Gilman's Cot and has her initiated as a minor, then full, bard

Hem/Cai - a male youth, Maerad's brother. He goes to Turbansk with Saliman after being found by Maerad on her travels with Cadvan

Saliman - a bard from the southern school of Turbansk, the closest to the realm of the Nameless One

Enkir - First bard of the circle of Norloch

Milana - First bard of the circle of Pellinor. The mother of Maerad and Hem. Died in Gilman's Cot

Dorn - husband of Milana and father of Maerad and Hem. Little is known about Dorn of the Pilanel

External links

• Alison Croggon web site.
• Alison Croggon's Official Forum .