In the first book of the epic Strand Novels, a victimized young woman sets out to avenge the wrongs committed against her and her elven protectorsIn the mid-fourteenth century, when the lands of Adria are replete with violence and intolerance, plot and counterplot, Miriam—an uncommonly gifted healer—is accused of witchcraft by the Inquisition, imprisoned, and tortured. After escaping, she is assaulted by Roger, baron of Aurverelle, who violates her and then leaves her for dead. Her salvation appears in the form of Varden, an Elf of Malvern Forest, whose magic first heals her, then provides her with the strength and stature she requires to pursue her revenge against those who have so grievously wronged her. Thus begins Miriam’s battle against her past, against her present, and even, in the end, against herself.Grand in scope and firmly grounded in the history of medieval Europe, Strands of Starlight is an engrossing and adventure-packed story of defeat and redemption, vengeance and compassion, and the power of a single individual to change the fates of countless others.Strands of Starlight is the first book of the Strand Novels, which continue with Maze of Moonlight and Shroud of Shadow.

In the third book of the Strand Novels, set nearly one hundred years after the conclusion of Maze of Moonlight, one Elf is the last hope for the future of her entire raceThe magic of the Elves is fading. The Elves themselves have been viciously persecuted by the humans they once strove to protect. Natil, an elven harper, after traveling the globe in an unsuccessful search for others of her kind, finds herself in the employ of a merchant of Adria. Accompanying her is Omelda, a runaway nun haunted and abused by the voices in her mind. But when the abuse turns violently and lethally physical, Natil and Omelda go on the run, only to fall into the clutches of the Inquisition.Natil, visited again and again by visions of a future reawakening of the immortal blood, must regain her elven powers, not only to heal Omelda, but to carry on as the last—or perhaps first—of her kind.Shroud of Shadow is the third book of the Strand Novels, which conclude with Strands of Sunlight and are supplemented by the story collection Spires of Spirit.

Six novellas set in the Strand universe offer new windows into Gael Baudino’s enthralling world, from medieval Adria to modern DenverWritten before, during, and after the composition of Strands of Starlight, the stories in Spires of Spirit are shorter, more personal tales of characters and events that take place around the times of the first and last novels of the series. “Charity” tells of a carpenter, moved by compassion, who offers help and acceptance to a spurned village woman. In “Lady of Light,” a talented woodcarver wrestles with an arrogant priest’s demand for a crucifix depicting suffering and sorrow. “A Touch of Distant Hands” brings the story begun in “Charity” to its conclusion with an alliance of Elf and witch. “Elvenhome,” “Please Come to Denver (in the Spring),” and “The Shadow of the Starlight,” set in present-day Colorado, tell of those whose newly awakened elven blood forces them to struggle with their identities and the challenges of the modern world.Spires of Spirit weaves its six tales through the world and characters of the Strand Novels, which consist of Strands of Starlight, Maze of Moonlight, Shroud of Shadow,and Strands of Sunlight.