The Light-Bearer's Daughter

The Summer King

“Readers will be easily caught by the continuous, heart-pounding suspense; the twists and romances; and the heroine, who is both a grieving, contemporary teen and an invincible rescuer of worlds.” —
Booklist

“A story that is lyrical and mesmerizing in subject and scope. An essential purchase for fantasy collections in which Tamora Pierce is popular.” —
School Library Journal

“Fans of
The Hunter’s Moon
will enjoy this next installment… a story about duplicity in many guises, the fight between good and evil, right and wrong, honor and fidelity…” —
Kirkus

“Compelling fantasy.” —
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The Hunter’s Moon

A
Booklist
Editors’ Choice, 2005
A
Booklist
Top Ten Fantasy selection

“Thrilling action… opulent and mystical, realistic and contemporary… timeless legends and modern teen emotions. Shimmering with magic, myth, and romance…” —
Booklist
, starred review

“The opportunity to immerse oneself in a sensation-loaded celebration of Ireland and Faerie will be a powerful draw for many readers.” —
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A compelling blend of Irish mythology and geography. Characters that breathe and connect with readers, and a picturesque landscape that shifts between the present and the past, bring readers into the experience. Melling’s taut plotting, with its unexpected turns, moves the story quickly to a climax and leaves readers wanting more.” —
School Library Journal
, starred review

“Kudos to Melling… she brings the Irish countryside to vivid life and makes even the fantastic feel rooted and real.” —
Time Out New York Kids

Also by O.R. Melling

The Druid’s Tune

The Singing Stone

My Blue Country

In
The Chronicles of Faerie

The Hunter’s Moon

The Summer King

The Light-Bearer’s Daughter

The Book of Dreams

Adult Fiction

Falling Out of Time

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either 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 Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Melling, O.R.

The Light-Bearer’s daughter / by O.R. Melling.

p. cm. — (The chronicles of Faerie; bk. 3)

Summary: In exchange for the granting of her heart’s desire, twelve-year-old Dana agrees to make an arduous journey to Lugnaquillia through the land of Faerie in order to warn King Lugh, second in command to the High King, that an evil destroyer has entered the Mountain Kingdom.

ISBN 978-0-8109-0781-2 (hardcover w/jkt.)

[1. Messengers—Fiction. 2. Voyages and travels—Fiction. 3. Fairies—Fiction. 4. Magic— Fiction. 5. Ireland—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.M51625Lig 2007
[Fic]—dc22
2006033517

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8109-7123-3

Originally published in hardcover by Amulet Books in 2007
Text copyright © 2007 O.R. Melling
Map illustration copyright © 2007 Bret Bertholf
Excerpt of
The Book of Dreams
© 2008 O.R. Melling

Permissions

The author wishes to thank Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin for permission to use verses from her songs “Cara Caoin” (“Beloved Friend”), on page 62; “An Leannán” (“The Beloved”), on page 213; “Gleann na nDeor” (“Valley of Tears”), on page 238; and “An Phog” (“The Kiss”), on page 264. All songs are from her CD
Ailleacht
(
Beauty
), Gael Linn CEFCD 187, used with the kind permission of the singer/songwriter.

Chapters Twenty-seven and Twenty-eight were inspired by
Glendalough: A Celtic Pilgrimage
, by Michael Rodgers and Marcus Losack (Columbia Press, Ireland, and Morehouse Publishing, USA).

There are various quotes throughout the book from the King James version of the Bible.

Published in 2008 by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Amulet Books and Amulet Paperbacks are registered trademarks of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Amulet Books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact [email protected] or the address below.

  115 West 18th Street
  New York, NY 10011
  
www.abramsbooks.com

For Michael Scott
, mo chara,
dear friend

As always thanks to many: my daughter, Findabhair, first reader and advisor; Georgie-mum for her constant support; sister Pat Burnes for fabulous photos; my editor, Susan Van Metre; agents Lynn and David Bennett of the Transatlantic Literary Agency Inc.; the Second Sunday hiking group for research adventures in the Wicklow Mountains; the staff at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig; Dr. Nena Hardie, dear host in Toronto; John Duff and Brian Levy, dear hosts in New York; Piers Dillon-Scott, my Webmaster; Joe Murray, my computer angel; Brenda Sutton and all the gang at the Mythic Imagination Institute; and last but not least,
Na Daoine Maithe
, for their assistance and permission.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh!