Heart Fate

Table of Contents

 

Praise for the futuristic fantasy of Robin D. Owens

Heart Dance

“The latest Heart fantasy is one of the best of this superior series . . . retaining the freshness of its heartfelt predecessors.”—
The Best Reviews

“I look forward to my yearly holiday in Celta, always a dangerous and fascinating trip.” —
Fresh Fiction

 
“The world of Celta is amazingly detailed, and readers will enjoy the bits of humor that the Fams provide. Sensual, riveting, and filled with the wonderful cast of characters from previous books, as well as some new ones,
Heart Dance
is exquisite in its presentation.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

 
Heart Choice

“The romance is passionate, the characters engaging, and the society and setting exquisitely crafted.” —
Booklist

 
“Character-driven story, brilliant dialogue . . . Terrific writing with a very realistic and sensual romance make
Heart Choice
a fantastic read.” —
Romance Reviews Today

“Maintaining the ‘world building' for science fiction and character-driven plot for romance is near impossible. Owens does it brilliantly.”

—
The Romance Reader

 
“Well-written, humor-laced, intellectually and emotionally involving story which explores the true meaning of family and love.”

—
Library Journal

 
“
Heart Choice
is a wonderful book to lose yourself in for a while! I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderfully imaginative series.” —
Romance Junkies

Heart Duel

“[A] sexy story . . . Readers will enjoy revisiting this fantasy-like world filled with paranormal talents.” —
Booklist

 
“An exhilarating love story . . . The delightful story line is cleverly executed . . . Owens proves once again that she is among the top rung of fantasy romance authors with this fantastic tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 
“With engaging characters, Robin D. Owens takes readers back to the magical world of Celta . . . The characters are engaging, drawing the reader into the story and into their lives. They are multilayered and complex and grow into exceptional people.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

 
Heart Thief

“I loved
Heart Thief
! This is what futuristic romance is all about. Robin D. Owens writes the kind of futuristic romance we've all been waiting to read; certainly the kind that I've been waiting for. She provides a wonderful, gripping mix of passion, exotic futuristic settings, and edgy suspense. If you've been waiting for someone to do futuristic romance right, you're in luck; Robin D. Owens is the author for you.”

—Jayne Castle

 
“The complex plot and rich characterizations, not to mention the sexy passion . . . make this a must-read . . . I just wish Robin D. Owens wrote faster. I hope she's got a huge pile of ideas for future Celtan stories, and I for one can't wait to go back.” —
The Romance Reader

 
“Owens spins an entrancing tale . . . Although the setting is fresh and totally captivating, it is the well-developed characters, both human and animal, that make this story memorable. Crafty villains, honorable, resourceful protagonists, and sentient pets drive the plot of this fast-paced, often-suspenseful romantic adventure. As have others before her (e.g., Anne McCaffrey, Marion Zimmer Bradley), Owens has penned a stunning futuristic tale that reads like fantasy and is sure to have crossover appeal to both SF and fantasy fans.” —
Library Journal

“Owens has crafted a fine romance that is also a successful science fantasy yarn with terrific world building.” —
Booklist

Praise for
HeartMate Winner of the 2002 RITA Award for Best Paranormal Romance by the Romance Writers of America

“Engaging characters, effortless world building, and a sizzling romance make this a novel that's almost impossible to put down.”

—
The Romance Reader

 
“Fantasy romance with a touch of mystery . . . Readers from the different genres will want Ms. Owens to return to Celta for more tales of HeartMates.” —
Midwest Book Review

“
HeartMate
is a dazzling debut novel. Robin D. Owens paints a world filled with characters who sweep readers into an unforgettable adventure with every delicious word, every breath, every beat of their hearts. Brava!” —Deb Stover, award-winning author of
A Moment in Time

 
“A gem of a story . . . sure to tickle your fancy.”

—Anne Avery, author of
All's Fair

 
“It shines and fans will soon clamor for more . . . A definite keeper!”

—
The Bookdragon Review

 
“This story is magical . . . Doubly delicious as it will appeal to both lovers of fantasy and futuristic romance. Much room has been left for sequels.” —
Paranormal Romance Reviews

HEARTMATE HEART THIEF HEART DUEL HEART CHOICE HEART QUEST HEART DANCE HEART FATE

 
Anthologies

 
WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
(with Sherrilyn Kenyon and Rebecca York)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
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(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,
South Africa

 
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 
This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 
HEART FATE

 
Copyright © 2008 by Robin D. Owens

 
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
BERKLEY SENSATION is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

eISBN : 978-0-425-22367-3

I. Title. 
PS3615.W478H445 2008
813'.6-dc22 2008018067 

To all my readers. Thank you.

Characters

Note
: All previous heroes and heroines are HeartMates.

 
Lahsin Burdock D'Yew, GrandLady D'Yew:
Heroine of
Heart Fate
, married to Ioho Yew at fourteen, now seventeen (Fam Strother).

Tinne Holly:
Hero of
Heart Fate
, Second son of Passiflora and Holm Sr., will inherit the Green Knight Fencing and Fighting Salon (Fam Ilexa).

 
Ioho Yew:
GrandLord T'Yew, husband of Lahshin.

Taxa Yew:
Daughter of T'Yew, his Heir.

Holm Holly (Jr.):
Hero of
Heart Duel
, HollyHeir, warrior (Fam Meserv).

Lark Holly:
Heroine of
Heart Duel
, FirstLevel Healer (Fam Phyl).
Passiflora Holly:
Mother of Holm Jr., Composer.

Holm Holly (Sr.):
GreatLord, HeartMate of Passiflora, working to be Captain of the Councils.

Genista Holly:
Wife of Tinne Holly.

Cratag Maytree:
Chief guard of the Hawthorns.

Saille T'Willow:
Hero of
Heart Dance
, FirstFamilies GreatLord and premiere Matchmaker.

Ruis Elder:
Hero of
Heart Thief
, a Null who suppresses Flair, Captain of the starship
Nuada's Sword
(Fam Samba).

Ailim Elder:
Heroine of
Heart Thief
, SupremeJudge of Druida, telempath (Fam Primrose).

 
Rand T'Ash:
Hero of
HeartMate
, jeweler, armorer (Fam Zanth).
Danith D'Ash:
Heroine of
HeartMate
, animal Healer, verifier of Fams (Cat Princess).

 
Straif Blackthorn:
Hero of
Heart Choice
, premiere tracker of Celta. Cousin to Tinne Holly (Fam Drina).

Mitchell Clover Blackthorn:
Heroine of
Heart Choice
, HeartMate of Straif.