The Misted Cliffs

The Misted Cliffs (2005) is the second fantasy novel in the Misted Cliffs series. In the previous volume, King Varqelle of Harsdown was removed from his throne by the victorious army of Aronsdale and imprisoned in the Citadel of Rumors. Prince Muller of Aronsdale was placed on the throne. Chime became the queen and soon was pregnant with a girl child. In this novel, Princess Melody is the despair of her father. She would rather wear trousers than a skirt, especially when she is riding and practicing with the sword. She often returns home with her hair all tousled and leaves snagged in her locks. Prince Cobalt the Dark is the son of Princess Dancer Chanberlight of the Misted Cliffs. Dancer is the wife of former King Varqelle, but she had left him when Cobalt was a small babe and returned to her father, King Stonebreaker. Although Cobalt has asked her many times why she left Varqelle, she only tells him that it was for his sake. Prince Cobalt leads a raid on the Citadel of Rumors and frees his father. King Stonebreaker offers sanctuary in the Misted Cliffs. However, Cobalt initially takes his father to his own home, the Castle of Clouds. Both Cobalt and Dancer prefer to live away from King Stonebreaker. Her father had long abused her and her son. Yet Cobalt eventually grew large enough to threaten the King if he ever touched either one again. Stonebreaker is a bully, but even he is afraid of his grandson. In this story, Melody and Cobalt are married. Originally, Varqelle and Stonebreaker wanted to invade Harsdown, but Cobalt believes that the Misted Cliffs army would destroy itself fighting both Harsdown and Aronsdale. Moreover, he would prefer that Harsdown not be devastated by warfare. So he suggests the marriage with Melody. Cobalt has a very bad reputation in Harsdown, so Melody has no desire to marry him. Yet their marriage would bring a peace treaty between the Misted Cliffs and Harsdown/Aronsdale. She and her parents decide to accept the marriage. When Cobalt comes to Harsdown to marry Melody, she is surprised to find that he is a very large, but handsome man. On the way back to his home, she finds herself seeing more compassion in his manner. Moreover, she soon falls in lust with him. This story tells of the gradual growth of love between the pair. Due to his abusive upbringing by his grandfather, Cobalt has never dared love anyone, but his mother. When his father praises him for his efforts, Cobalt is overwhelmed by the positive remarks. Then he is enthralled by Melody's warmth and positive attitude. Cobalt the Dark finds himself with more light in his life. When Melody invites Cobalt and his mother to visit her parents, Cobalt thinks that such a visit would help protect Dancer while he is away. He convinces his mother to travel to Harsdown and she grows to like the ambiance. Highly recommended for Asaro fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of family conflicts, positive influences and profound romance

The Misted Cliffs are the best of the trilogy. Mel and Cobalt are thrown together to prevent a war yet the work does not stop there. Mel the bright in Cobalt's world of darkness and whether he wanted it or not, he is drawn. It helps that she doesn't look like a man.

Romantic fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and reading Catherine Asaro's THE MISTED CLIFFS, I was reminded of the reason why. Deposed kings, sword and sorcery, magic and spells, kings and queens, dark-hearted rulers and self-sacrificing princesses, all combine to make this story one of the best. For Princess Melody Dawnfield, being the daughter of the current king of Harsdown means more than looking pretty and watching men vie for her hand in marriage. Trained as a mage and excellent swordsmen, Mel is her parents' pride and joy. She also feels so deeply for her town, and the adjoining towns of Aronsdale and Misted Cliffs, that she agrees to marry a man feared far and wide to save her people from the threat of war. Cobalt the Dark is a man at war within himself. His half-crazy mother and terror-inducing grandfather raised him, and hold much of the blame for his dark heart. When Cobalt learns that his father, Varquelle, isn't dead as he once thought, but imprisoned, he risks his own life to rescue the deposed king. Now that the former king is free, however, war looms on the horizon. Although tortured at heart and feeling that war is the only answer, Cobalt agrees to marry Princess Melody in the hopes that the war, although undoubtedly inevitable, can at least be put off. While much of the kingdom feels that Cobalt is evil, Mel learns that he's only troubled by his own inner demons and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that stand before him. Melody, as well, is not what her husband expected. Not only is she powerful in her own right, but her love and warm heart begin to thaw something within him that he thought was long dead and buried. THE MISTED CLIFFS is Ms. Asaro at her writing best. A tried and true formula of a haunted hero and a warm-hearted heroine, combined with the magic of a kingdom you'll want to visit again and again, make this book a true winner. I highly recommend that you read THE CHARMED SPHERE, her previous LUNA release, as well as THE MISTED CLIFFS. They are both stand alone books, but THE CHARMED SPHERE will delve you into the kingdom of Aronsdale , which plays a supporting role in this current book. I don't yet know the title of the third book in the trilogy, but no doubt it will bring us even deeper into this world where love and magic are intertwined.

This is the story of Melody, the daughter of Chime and Muller, and Cobalt, the son of King Varquelle. This story picks up about eighteen years after the end of "The Charmed Sphere". King Varquelle comes back to regain his throne and his son Cobalt is helping him. Cobalt and Melody end up getting married and one part of the book is about their marriage. The other part of the book is about Cobalt's past, his family, and his building of the Dawn Star Empire. I really liked this book and I thought that it was much better than "The Charmed Sphere". I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice, light, romantic fanatasy. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, The Dawn Star.

Verquelle was the King of Harsdown but when he was defeated in battle to annex the Kingdom of Aronsdale, the monarch vanquished him to a place where he has been imprisoned for eighteen years. King Muller and Queen Chime are the rulers of Harsdown and the country has flourished under their reign. The heir is Princess Melody, a bright beautiful and loving person who is adored by her subjects Verquelle's son Cobalt the Dark rescues his father and brings him to his home the Castle of the Clouds. Cobalt was raised by a sadistic grandfather and a distant mother but his newfound father gives him the approval he needs. Both his grandfather and his father want to go to war with Harsdown so Verquelle can reclaim his throne but Cobalt convinces them that he should marry the heir and their offspring will sit on the throne. Melody has no choice but to agree to this arrangement as she doesn't want her country to go to war but she concludes that Cobalt is not evil but a person deprived of kindness and affection. He decides to conquer two countries that border Aronsdale using his grandfather's troops and his father's knowledge of war. Melody hopes that her love will temper his dark side so that he doesn't become a tyrant others fears. Catherine Asaro has written a beautiful and vividly descriptive tale that is a cross between a romantic fantasy and a swords and sorcery tale. The heroine is a bright lodestar that attracts her dark prince who is a tragic figure in the tradition of Heathcliffe. Hearts will go out to the beleaguered anti hero who seeks love and acceptance. Catherine Asaro is one of the reigning queens of brilliant romantic fantasy. Harriet Klausner