The Dark Ferryman by Jenna Rhodes

The Vaelinar are elf-like creatures come to Kerith from another world. Kerith had seen its fair share of conflict before their coming, with the God-born Magi warring against each other and being killed and removed from the world by the Gods themselves, who then withdrew from contact with the human-like Dwellers, partly out of anger, and partly out of shame.

Then the Vaelinar came and endured a hundred years of fighting within their clans before finally signing agreements that put them at peace. When the Bolger, another native people, attacked the Dwellers, the Vaelinars came to their defense, and defeated the Bolger, driving them back, but then had to retreat themselves, hard hit by the conflict. After a series of other wars and conflicts, the Vaelinar finally began to make a comeback, but war has come to them again as the items they forged with magic are beginning to fail and whispers of the return of the gods abound.

Rivergrace, an orphan Vaelinar raised by Dwellers, has finally found a place within the Vaelinar ranks, along with her dweller sister, Nutmeg. Rivergrace has also found love with Sevryn, a Vaelinar who was able to bear the demon-infused blade Cerat. The blade is gone and broken, but the man fears that part of the demon remains within him.

The blade also concerns Quendius, a conqueror who once bore the blade. He is deprived of it now, but he saved the shards that remain and will forget them into a new weapon, arrowheads, so that the demon within will drink the blood and soul of whomever they hit. When he is successful in this, he goes to kill Lara, leader of the Vaelinars, their last princess and now Queen, to show off his terrible power and eliminate the Vaelinars from Kerith.

Lara has problems of her own, not only Quendius, but the encroachment of the Bolger tribes under their leader, Abayan Diort. And now it seems that another foe long thought conquered, Lizard-like beings called the Raymy from across the sea, have landed in lands belonging to the Dwellers and the Vaelinars to try and conquer them again. Lara also doesn't trust Rivergrace, seeing as she now has owers over fire as well as water, and resolves to either marry her off to Abayan Diort for peace with the Bolgers or to use her in some other way.

Meanwhile, Rivergrace's sister, Nutmeg, has become the lover and nurse to Lara's brother, Jeredon, who has been nearly crippled. Jeredon loves Nutmeg, but knows he will never be allowed to marry, and barring war, will outlive her. When members of the Vaelinar clan known as the ild Falyn come to join the war, their head shows she can move Jeredon's limbs with the power of her mind, and becomes his lover.

Rivergrace and Nutmeg alone and fearing they will never be allowed to be with the men they love, head for the library on their own, trailed by Quendius' henchman, Narskap, whom Rivergrace is stunned to learn, is her father, back before he was twisted by Quendius' magic. From her mother, and the goddess she carried within her, Rivergrace inherited her powers over water, and from her father, powers over fire. But now the goddess is insisting that Rivergrace give back something of her powers, and Rivergrace knows she has nothing of the goddesses. Or does she?

Nutmeg, meanwhile, searches the library for any tales of Dwellers and Vaelinars marrying, but is confounded. Is there any hope for her or her sister when Rivergrace is accused of treason and treachery by Lara, and put on trial for her life? Even if she escapes, how can she escape the war that is coming to the Vaelinars, in which her own life, and that of Sevryn, are in danger?

This was a confusing book, primarily because it's the second in the series and I didn't read the first. Therefore, most of the time, I had no clear idea of what was going on or why I should care. By the end, I did care for Rivergrace, Nutmeg and Sevryn, but not so much about the other Vaelinars.

The book was full of good and interesting ideas, and interesting characters, but I didn't feel enough for them to seek out the first book or to read any sequels. I was seduced by the cover, but the story simply didn't hold up for me.