| Date: 14 April 2011, 07:05
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Redeeming the Lost is the third novel in the Tale of Lanen Kaelar series, following The Lesser Kindred. In the previous novel, Lanen and Varien were driven off Hadronstead by an the attack of a mercenary band after Lanen and have traveled toward the College of Mages at Verfaren. In the meantime, the apprentice healers Vilkas and Aral have fled Verfaren with their friend Willem to escape false charges of murder by the Archmage of the College.
When Lanen became desperately ill in Wolfenden from her pregnancy, Vilkas and Aral were staying at the same inn. Vilkas discovered that the mixed blood of the fetuses was incompatible with Lanen's own blood. With Aral assisting, Vilkas healed the damage, changed her blood to match that of the children, and left Lanen in a healthy pregnant state.
Shortly thereafter, Varien met Salera, a Lesser Kindred who Will has adopted. Something in Salera called to both Varien and Lanen. They learned that they could enliven Salera's soulgem, giving her the ability to think at sapient level. Varien and Lanen repeated this process for all the Lesser Kindred while Vilkas and Aral healed the soulgem sockets and other minor wounds.
The Greater Kindred have evacuated Dragon Isle to escape the volcanoes and earthquakes. While the rest of the dragons remained on the Isle of Rest, Shikrar flew on to contact Varien and Lanen, but when he reached them, Berys and his demons have grabbed Lanen and taken her away. Varien became half crazy with fear and grief.
In this novel, Lanen's mother Maran Vena has been observing her daughter for decades with the Farseer ball and knows where Berys has imprisoned Lanen. Maran starts moving toward Shikrar. Meanwhile, the remaining Greater Kindred land in a field near Wolfenden.
Maran meets Varien in the landing zone and starts to tell him about the Farseer. However, the Lost Kindred also come to the field and want something. Shikrar places a soulgem in the socket of one of the Lost Kindred, but nothing happens. However, when Varien, Lanen and Maran all touch the Farseer ball concurrently and place the ball in contact with the soulgem, it comes to life and restores the dragon to full function. The threesome restore all of the Lost Kindred and then promptly fall into a deep sleep.
The Archmage Berys receives reports of these happenings via his demon observers. He is amazed, but not worried. He continues to prepare for the ritual that will drain the soul out of Lanen's body and leave her as a puppet and married to Marik. Everything is on schedule.
In this story, the Demonmaster Berys intends to conqueror the world using the undead spirit of the Demonlord, who had long ago been thought destroyed by the dragons. Lanen is a vital part of these plans. The Black Dragon is already on the way for the final battle.
This story shows a different view of dragonkind. While quite conservative and contemptuous of Gedri -- humankind -- some have come to admire and even love Lanen and have grown to like other humans. Although leery of mankind's greed for gold, Shikrar and the other leaders among the Greater Kindred feel that they can live with this noisy, short-lived bunch.
Highly recommended for Kerner fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of dragons facing demonic magic.
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