The Epic Fantasy Romance Series by Stan Sudan
Epic in its multi-book scope, but focusing on the lives of a handful of Medicine-riding Sisters and Brothers of Light, Dancers of Light and Darkness is a contemporary fantasy romance series that begins with a trilogy about a Keeper of the Ways, Iya-Ko-Naya, and her sister-cousin Sweet-Star. The two are not only skilled healers, but they are both accomplished Shadow-fighters and Legends-believing storytellers.
Aided by their warrior-friend Shatwa Hei, who is an Outsider shunned by the Elder-sisters, and denied the ability to even set one foot upon the Mountain of the Ancestors, Iya and Sweet-Star fight to reawaken their friend's memories. But an unforgiving Otherworld Darkness relentlessly pursues the trio, both into and out of Shadow, and deep into the canyons, and the wastelands, and the fertile farmlands of a sacred and protected, ancestral land that for centuries has kept their people safe from the living Darkness and it's light-hungry, Otherworld Minions.
Sisters of Light ~ Available at Amazon
ISBN-10: 1505544556
ISBN-13: 978-1505544558
Sisters of Light ~ Available at Smashwords
ISBN-13: 978-1310304873
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Sisters of Light, Book One of the epic fantasy romance trilogy, Dancers of Light and Darkness, unveils the trying, youthful saga of Iya-Ko-Naya, whose Legacy-given destiny has always been to become Daughter of the Mountain, the Keeper of the Ancient Ways of her People.
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Iya, along with her beloved Sister-cousin Te'o-Hai, must quickly learn to defend her ancient culture from the timeless threat of an invisible Darkness that can, by merely appearing in their dreams, slay both the reawakened Seekers as well as the children of their people. The two are compelled by their up-Mountain destinies to uncover the hidden secrets of their inherited legacies before Darkness can return to do more harm.
The two nearly inseparable Sister-cousins' answers lie in the dreams that the two Sisters of Light both continue to have of a mysterious Outsider who--much to their own mutual delight, but to the alarm and trepidation of the Elder-sisters--seems to have stepped directly out of the Legends of their own people. Shatwa Hei's destiny, which is revealed to the two Sisters of Light in a shared vision, is theirs to either gain--or to lose--if they are not bold enough to challenge the Forbidden.
Dancers of Light ~ Available at Amazon
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ISBN-10: 1522957693 (Print edition)
ISBN-13: 978-1522957690 (Print edition)
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In Book Two, Iya continues her fiery struggle with the up-Mountain Council of Elder Sisters over the ways-challenging status of her friend and fellow apprentice Shatwa Hei. The confrontation, which provides Darkness with an opportunity to pour chaos into the springtime festivities at Riverpark, threatens far more than the lives of the young dancers who merely thought they were bringing a blessing to the celebration. As Darkness is unleashed among Iya's people, the most vulnerable are the children who carry ancient, reawakened skills attached to their personal up-Mountain legacies, including Little Star-Speaker, whose timeless legacy is paramount to returning Star-Man's Great Lance.
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As Darkness pursues Little Star-Speaker, her mother's medicine-touched call for help lies unheard--and unanswered--until Dark-Bear's-Sister and her miscreant daughter Constanza are dragged from their dreams by the soul-compelling strength of She-Who-Whispers' plea. In rare yet noble Shadow-fighting form, Dark-Bear's-Sister and her daughter find themselves outmatched and wrestling with an ancient, lives-threatening riddle as they struggle to save not only Star-Man and Star-Woman, but She-Who-Whispers and her tiny daughter Star-Speaker, from an eternal fate that could not only end their legacies, but eliminate all life in real-time.
Medicine Riders
ISBN-13: 9798309027972 (Print Edition)
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In the aftermath of a massive Shadow-storm, the Daughter of the Mountain is forced to send all but three of her youngest Clan-Sisters to safe-haven, away from the threat of Darkness that has slipped into real-time from Otherworld. Untested in real-time combat, the three young Dancers race to warn their families that the Dark Ones have broken through from Shadow. Fearing that her friend Shatwa Hei will be overcome by the Dark Minions that are racing down-Mountain, Iya-Ko-Naya sends her Medicine Rider friend Day-Star Black-Feather, the Dark-Medicine practicing blood-sister of Iya's ex-husband, to search the Flatlands for the Outsider.
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A race for more than life ensues. The ageless trust of ancient legacies, and entire clans, are at stake as Day-Star, pursued by the Minions of Darkness, defies the Forbidden and chooses to take Shatwa Hei to the Mountain of the Ancestors. The two Medicine-seekers are caught between an ancient, narrowly interpreted edict of death at the hands of the up-Mountain warriors, who are sworn to enforce the up-Mountain tenets, and an equally certain death by the light-seeking Dark Beasts that pursue them across the Wasteland.
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Medicine Riders is the final book of the opening trilogy to the series. But it is hardly the end to the ongoing adventures of Iya-Ko-Naya, her Medicine Brothers, and the five Medicine-riding Sisters. The initial trilogy is followed by Brothers of Light, the fourth book in the series, which provides continued insight into the lives of the three Flatland-guardian Brothers, Jonathan Stillwater, Stands-By-The-Brook, and Shatwa Hei. But, not to be excluded, there are new secrets revealed about Iya-Ko-Naya and Sweet-Star, as well as their little Crazy-Medicine-riding Sister Dja-ne-ke'a Hawkman.
Brothers of Light
ISBN-13: 9798288024689 (Print Edition)
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Dodging sharp sticks, tossed rocks, and endless jibes as his Medicine Brothers prod their Outsider-friend into re-Awakening his long-forgotten skills and ancient memories, Shatwa Hei discovers a harsher side to his brotherly alliance of Flatland-guarding Brothers of Light. Left alone to stand against a storm-wrought horde of Dark Minions, the only choice the young Seeker of Medicine has is to hide with a Rider-Sister whom he has naïvely promised to protect from Darkness.
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Having awaited millennia for the return of her Star-Children, the Mountain of the Ancestors vigilantly stands between two worlds as the Daughter of the Mountain, along with Iya-Ko-Naya's Sister-cousin Sweet-Star, her guardian friends Jonathan Stillwater, Stands-By-The-Brook and Shatwa Hei—joined by yet one more Rider-Sister, Dja-ne-ke'a Hawkman—heighten their commitment to once again defend Iya-Ko-Naya's up-Mountain Legacy.
Dreamwalkers
ISBN-13: 9798291706626 (Print Edition)
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When Shatwa Hei experiences his first-step into Shadow, his Awakening triggers an unexpected up-Mountain clash among the Sisters of Light. As Iya-Ko-Naya is forced to deal with the aftermath of his re-Awakening, Shatwa Hei joins his guardian-brother Stands-By-The-Brook as they pursue a horde of Dark Ones into the Lower Valley. Using both their own personal guile, as well as their ancient, re-Awakened warrior-skills, the two Flatland-guardians rally against the Minions of Darkness to try and save She-Who-Whispers and Little Star-Speaker.
In recognition of his efforts, Shatwa Hei receives more than a gracious homecoming gift from She-Who-Whispers' family—one that will never be forgotten. Unable to any longer deny that Shatwa Hei is a Warrior of Light, and finally acceding to pressure from not only She-Who-Whispers' traditions-keeping family, but also from the Flatland-guardians and the down-Mountain Council of Warriors, the up-Mountain Elder-sisters at long last relent, and finally allow the Outsider to be invited to the Mountain of the Ancestors.
