Talisa's Song

Talisa Thatcher thinks she's worthless--because she's the only one in her family who can't perform magic. But she learns the power of her own gift of music when she has to save the life of a young man unjustly accused of murder. This second book of the trilogy--set in Freya, a land simmering with magic and intrigue - tells the story of sixteen-year-old Talisa Thatcher and a talented young carver, Cory Updale. In Uglessia, Talisa's family is renowned for its great magicians. Her own gift--to write and sing beautiful songs-- seems next to worthless. Talisa apprentices herself to a master musician in the city of Freyfall and gets caught in the middle of a street riot. Cory sees her danger and saves her. Through him, she learns about Freyan farmers turned off their land--an echo of the famous Highland Clearances. When Cory is falsely accused of murder, Talisa flees with him to the mountains of Uglessia, where she finally learns the value of her own gift. But Freyan soldiers come looking for him, and Cory surrenders to protect Talisa's family. Talisa decides she must go back to Freya and use her own kind of magic to help prove his innocence. Linda Smith previously published three novels with Coteau: The Minstrel's Daughter, Talisa's Song, and The Weathermage. She also published several children's pictures books, and poetry and short fiction in literary periodicals.