The Book of Magic by T. A. Barron

walk, there is something hauntingly serious about him. His name, Olewyn, is reminiscent of the legendary mer woman Olwen , who dared to leave her people and her ancestral home to wed Tuatha of Lost Fincayra . But that similarity could be just a coincidence: His name, like so much else about the bard, simply defies explanation.
    Palimyst
    … Palimyst was gigantic, standing twice Tamwyn's height.
    Palimyst belonged to the Taliwonn people, the most remarkable creatures of the branch-realm Holosarr —and maybe of any realm in Avalon . When Tamwyn first met Palimyst, he realized that he must seem as strange to this creature as the creature seemed to him. (In fact, the name Holosarr was the Taliwonn word for lowest realm, since they had explored the higher branches of the Great Tree but remained completely unaware of the root-realms below.) Like the rest of his people, Palimyst was gigantic, standing twice Tamwyn's height. He had two brawny arms, a hunched and hairy back, and a single leg as thick as a tree trunk. By contrast, at the end of each arm was a hand with seven long, delicate fingers, which Palimyst used for fine craftsmanship. His eyes were dark and intelligent, and he was quick to perceive the hope—as well as the heroic qualities—in Tamwyn. It was he who told the young man about the fabled River of Time , "the seam in the tent of the sky."
    As a craftsman and collector, Palimyst lived in a tent of his own making. There he displayed objects that he had woven, carved, and sculpted. As varied as they were, those objects shared one fundamental virtue: All were made from natural materials shaped by mortal hands. Thus, as Palimyst explained, "they hold both the beauty of nature and the beauty of craftsmanship."
    Tamwyn witnessed the strange, silent dance of Palimyst's people. They clasped their slender hands and formed a circle, hopping and bowing in unison. Despite their great size and their need to balance on one leg, they moved with all the fluidity of blowing clouds. And so, like everything else about these creatures, their dance was rich in remarkable contrasts.
    Pwyll the Younger
    Pwyll the Younger followed the path of his father, the poet Pwyll the Elder, and became one of the most famous bards in history. His songs and poems are as beloved by the people of Avalon as Cairpré 's were by the people of Fincayra . Particularly powerful were his ballads about human fallibilities: greed, arrogance, and intolerance. In contrast to his contemporary, Willenia , he held a dismal view of humanity, far more tragic than triumphant.
    Quenaykha (Queen)
    As the ruthless ruler of the Bram Kaie eaglefolk in Fireroot 's Volcano Lands, she preferred to be called simply "Queen." Under her leadership, the clan survived its most difficult time—but only by turning to thievery and murder. Discarding the eaglefolk's long-standing traditions of honor, this renegade group began to attack and pillage other clans. Instead of relying on their speed and talons in battle, the Bram Kaie used heavy wooden bows and arrows. The mere sight of their black-tipped wings and red leg bands was enough to prompt screeches of fear and outrage—as Scree witnessed during the attack that killed the healer Arc-kaya . And those screeches would have been louder still if people knew that Quenaykha had forged an alliance with the sorcerer Kulwych , who served Rhita Gawr .
    But there was another side of Queen. It wasn't known by her followers, nor even her chief lieutenants Cuttayka and Maulkee . No, this side of her was known by only one person: Scree. For he had met her long ago, when she was still innocent enough to find joy in the sight of firebloom—the realm's only flower, whose orange petals resemble tiny feathers. Or was that only an act, a ploy to lure Scree into danger? Although he couldn't be sure of the truth, Scree concluded that he needed to do everything possible to stop the Bram Kaie's murderous ways. And so he decided to travel to their remote