Out of the Dawn Light (Severn House 2009) introduces Lassair, a 14-year-old girl in a Fenland village in 1087 England. Lassair has the gift of finding lost objects and dowsing for water, and is in training with her aunt to be a healer. But Lassair has more important things on her mind — will her friend Sibert ask her to dance even though her womanly shape refuses to emerge? William Rufus has just taken the throne after the death of William the Conqueror, and the common people are not happy with the harsh new regime. Lassair’s father is hard pressed to support his large family and comply with the demands of the Norman overlord. When Lassair’s older sister Goda, who delights in making everyone miserable, becomes pregnant with her first child, Lassair is sent to care for her. Sneaking out for the Midsummer Night festival, Lassair meets Romain, an attractive and wealthy stranger, who convinces her to set off on a quest with Sibert to find a mysterious object on the coast. Eager to escape Goda’s demands for a few days, and to finally see the ocean, Lassair agrees, though neither Romain nor Sibert will tell her anything about the object they are searching for. Treachery, murder, and the clash between the pagan gods and Christianity enliven this first in a series.
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