Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Sing the Four Quarters
Sing the Four Quarters
Sing the Four Quarters
Ebook555 pages

Sing the Four Quarters

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The Bards of Shkoder hold the country together. They, and the elemental spirits they Sing – earth, air, fire, and water - bring the news of the sea to the mountains, news of the mountains to the plains. They give their people, from peasant to king, a song in common.

Annice is a rare talent, able to Sing all four quarters, but her brother, the newly enthroned King Theron, sees her request to study at the Bardic Hall as a betrayal. To his surprise, Annice accepts his conditions, renouncing her royal blood and swearing to remain childless so as not to jeopardize the line of succession. She walks away from political responsibilities, royal privilege and her family.

Ten years later, Annice has become the Princess Bard and her real life is about to become the exact opposite of the overwrought ballad her fellow students at the Bardic Hall wrote about her. Now, she's on the run from the Royal Guards with the Duc of Ohrid, the father of her unborn child, both of them guilty of treason – one of them unjustly accused. To save the Duc's life, they'll have to cross the country, manage to keep from strangling each other, and defeat an enemy too damaged for even a Bard's song to reach.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 4, 2015
ISBN9781625671226
Author

Tanya Huff

Tanya Huff lives in rural Ontario with her wife Fiona Patton, five cats, and an increasing number of fish. Her 32 novels and 83 short stories include horror, heroic fantasy, urban fantasy, comedy, and space opera. Her BLOOD series was turned into the 22-episode Blood Ties and writing episode nine allowed her to finally use her degree in Radio & Television Arts. Many of her short stories are available as eCollections. She’s on Twitter at @TanyaHuff and Facebook as Tanya Huff. She has never used her Instagram account and isn’t sure why she has it.

Read more from Tanya Huff

Related to Sing the Four Quarters

Titles in the series (3)

View More

Fantasy For You

View More

Reviews for Sing the Four Quarters

Rating: 3.7254858823529413 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

51 ratings2 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Two books in one thats a real dandy idea. I truly enjoyed Sing the Four Quarters although a bit corny at parts, it was a delightful read. I purchased this book simply because I wanted some fantasy with humor. Although, not as humorous as I expected, it did give some spikes of pleasure. I can say that I enjoyed Fifth Quarter, the second novel better then the first. It is interesting that they were both love stories but with twists (not the kind of love that I would say I'm comfortable with), yet Tanya Huff was able to write it in such a way that I was amused.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book contains Sing the four quarters and Fifth quarter.Sing the four quartersI really liked this book about Annice, the princess who became a bard. I like the world, with the way society is organized (bards working for the king to spread and collect news, and to assist in criminal cases), and with the bardic magic, used to command the kigh (Air, Water, Earth, and Fire). I liked bardic life, going on walks, talking to all kinds of people and of course, singing. I liked the characters, who are flawed but likable. What I liked a lot is how casually equal Huff's society regards men and women. She doesn't make a fuss about it, but a corporal can just as easily be a woman as a man. Two partners can just as easily be homosexual as heterosexual. There is even mention of one of the princes forming a political alliance through a relationship with another man. This I have never seen before. Even in fantasy societies where homosexuality is accepted, being gay for a prince would mean he can't be used for marriages of state, or he tragically marries a princess, and perhaps his boyfriend can come along. Not so in Sing the four quarters. It really doesn't matter whether you are a man of a woman or whether you like men or women. No mention is even made of it: this is just the way things are, an no discussion is necessary. Quite refreshing!Fifth quarterAt first, I was a little disappointed that this is not about the same country or the same characters, but this faded soon. This story takes place in a neighboring country, it has a few bards and kigh. Its style was very similar to the first book, nice pace, interesting world, attractive story. I'm going to search for book 3 now!

    1 person found this helpful

Book preview

Sing the Four Quarters - Tanya Huff

abook_preview_excerpt.html}Y#GUgDJQ͚) )#:#Y)i//_>vHUb> Mm&?}x޷aݱu9.tv^5MNP6N!=M|~){*O8 o1|"x+]6e>CَMvۜN>^Wc6Ao>ʇfm1<:UƔe<>TiڇkrpʭSa,ʶk_?}_O|Ozgu7͖!>g~yҏ_fv2u eu&fv}.8aM{Rf66'T{ejEd!թ6O6\(ݏn%SoO۶Q_C66dr]2xțUV 3Xu+c?ei#ºbT5W.L y2+ˆ7}M]۴ ]ʁ#|L.'&(=;Y\c)Yu]6E<`eFZGS*kC?+͗+_24!tjoGOac%OmW 5 3H0v*7;iy׶}lVc&ۯGeoz}|J ڢeX>f库ۦM\d6:e3Ī%Wvur|]@w Cy)s$|ƸZ_q؟OǫkC0pVPCQ[j+b9@1Q}5*pxwUUִCv[Qr|tMh gee÷u8KX2ҵPé*{h ;Pn[ ϫVDl(΢NXBWm)/sy;?CE]#+dqb۱c)1`2hNjW76H-_VjW:9КP04+JJ1K0MXQmyEY!62PBjc-kHĬpr08X"z~T:.YK~<@_R _ Akrݾ=!x/Z\ wϳ}wy?<:^xCû~ȘǺnUQWS3_y~kʻvx׻>|޾ۋWd7]Vv_8/o(V߯idDTE+E;k؍`/4unq%w}͋o˴~1(fkEc}C>>\(^>"k|HEAKLU#?+;kx|g+pdU.n#{cv/C/}|;x׮70T(| Ky?~[ c?lʏa]]ʗqݍ0Fwx14OEj|\y'sɛbJY{QkWt1>$.Z yUfեjn5ElYlxM?>}"{RG[W$`rW[z/3ڈnU tόs6]8@}#<}y////////οOyJ ]x.鎗"cCSF OJPѣ?Q.b컦L7@@VCT +D1#`Ij+a9cȯ^w˦1XqkvITV dB5#b-~8cBmeiHtax+q( 肍xP##$BP^*g@@䇃(UYCj6]k@/ӧJUCŰc? weO)d?#A,>?bQbVn 2>ޗɀ׌9[DXI8ulۊ ܅j4y^̬Ayb(6q|wQI1n4ek#25ر0"I *˻ٟah8,ʊAQ.Tl.V.AH&&{c TQ{C#-}!}o]c-JvI(!r3b⯜<-AF+30Q(LO)h4)/Z<[gyűՋk P8ӸZ}$찁@'/hDp(~ƋGhn B&ٵk1'ieϥ'fǽ PD"ݘc$ڊarb9 I4н5.jPڢ4!2'd-0oH^YĹ]~񈐆P/ŨXd/B}ҕ~C#mDԯC\S3)Wq#'ʈ22ݨezntJퟬEݲFI2֭ͷ|OH۔Qnb% u=c'ݛq`n1,"!{;f/\UJ%f }>vH0<6)̠dH$'Ȭ, >׋P &,*!rrFteTf;e6k0z1 h~!AyV2똇׏q@bv'ҜF lL\EEקZ U`wވk%F@p= RCQ SJdLtP[3C%>ȯP Ew90>`SRD~ʃ(?68J{O\4;Ҥ0 Z^WrT?ص|,jV(oX1񆖚5TZ$LBM\y-Zv˨z"mÃVKEWjWodtOE-<#,+ML(i܀1~˃#2}K.oAgӫJ #mIvzc^/M!Ap|)hUu{Lq]PZ32J=ߤ{YXBc[9bje#dm}+q|oLlP y X[.fmm Ӱr' <*} OT?&Ica p;F^VE1BBǰeWpɭA3ěKƧ؈s*h٧4ԛ!`ξe)Oew2HAynΆWA3ej#qm jg~QŅ_u|̻qK'\Elaēa)UಔVV&iq.8dc(I?"q<3nT{ xlԶ=*;i Ə_%Vâ&DwfDݹNa< K*X"TXTPY>~9".&ĕt?CX2d,ieo*겼 "nz/- F覊d ,222WnXE9q'e| Wlx2}^ ĉ[GYt+'h-zU/t6NXVM Z&[ic/ʃz{*?uXb)X8ƕqߵ}MRyވ"A 9fm?F:eo}ւM &1VRvĂfN]}UٛAzAUWPvX%tY^ x-sf$9Én[ymM]D ΏMr2 H]R@1Ù> =EoT0g *!,@C>lp^!]yH$8bweV#b|IF'ƓXeBdI'7cYx 94EuEb1a 6-Pl;ֲ4C4>ܧ sGN x>Dy 3&\į5pnUt@D^KPЃOE0B3+5"Ʉ# ֛@Y%^ }Z34p[t) v(sFuۇX:pIH^>xԣ$\AMjWÝSE=埕S|! hnK< mu-GPr&vb$- ^ Bf@1RTȡ?kY G|\PcêZQ*rLny}%%Q^uSy)v*YF#&@1'L{Vk7LLOa uXJnZX徐N(b2Н(X Yf*i&tUHx}"&ZV{8>kol13EM|VTroe]Xf7W19Y:Fq3Vԋt;t4h"U(I!=k?Vtw$7}l=5D:`=X;E(!j5Ȥ*ɐ u_cծـrmaIl4 .E;%x{J'?u7VHۑgcZ@7`.OOvB'J<ŒU>?qP%~nb>R`Q2j0 (ms*^bǣ"䈘 ^eRYQd3oxDcͤzk?n).,̉5sQ#YG>u+#:! K8+-i[d`[(Fq3?}+"e+Qt=T=U0|"@XbΌX!ZBϩx%뱖9DH8S%B`84󀉗rp&(:- O)I< h&IHؠqbLG-JQM(tQaU՛ZŒ@'F 7 H[/%K{MV/X"uWա2*j'g1:"G8N!;j.ӫ;}R4<D{W @O Cw,0_6L8OG$,^M~&am53h0ЪB/wFd`9^PӘ=#nU7S@% 3NTNȧs_5}D[ľ,։t=Ve z!+O;c1P]֕eyB_!ʾJlTȻ\|iP%hV<\b` {-E'@ޓ}MAa5,-53 4?tIS3yǶO &,t"HȠˏ݈0"d9pְIm s4ԟ%vr֎GXR܆g26+1, 2Mi<=!,ȴ:lIRIi7I oI8iQ`Eҷ710S(RHjƼvHaossr:ےfT9Dc"ŀ b|de*u7sl#bj"FY[OmʍʭˆҾmqp"A dR@2Avfh=2| d9S ^җ^K^Hzʢ EK8Y6Cn$!x`?8paeU@C}{5Ž{AVLO"w\JE~&jMרh|{ [N,7xW\1u? s[98udeWSrvAP)_$-=z] ꃑ0: J,P!V0ˤ W{zpܐ8OL% Lm[ aTтBn~2],PW䤀޲w\ւ`(F("_t&RF$ȃ(k;3+h<|ӼpLlW $G6҉x:9*eNLTƳcHdar6E㱒PAkYoāQG@H/ܛ'4ܿ}L۔u3P NK* :Q 1lQ(;'|^r@Na{߶g jE02oXZ]i >@t :]>):KqΨ܈WL/ ԯaaFE*w!eisJIT-cGIWNڏ#±H7t9>4Pŷ@3T3R+1ijiLIɄB ( C~kzb@sR1vڄu: 5uЃv/ <#l]5s纨gP&c8_K[mL 28kftcvUAb,MUk@͡6v(8\`r(gCw( :v0S%b&3jˠCoxM$Y/y|oVwJ6rjB9*<f~ş_bۥY!h15*k$P!nEЕq|7=AR$;g&DJ}&O+9Ŋ`۪ޘʴNxӓ,ij;/׍ kM4q =ˊӫMި;i(u:trI)Df#ԗne3Gu*\D32}fWF;O4ȩP%=Z,[UE I$mu0hDnW]QԢ"c}ZN85Pҝ UKd5L?q-~$СM؆| 臶( -F36ҢPEn{eՠSX̵C0 윽r*Rz 9[lo]BI6֍DSjSL ϨʌhpuʷhA)o DP8p9e:T=KTVbdMq֒ܘW 黦J#ZN3c&@Wbskec M$Y)K3YZW 7<ӳpͫPf6$yw| =${26/v6VܧZ(읊'&I%54齁Ve`nu\7:AF\Sy%D "2#kYQh&xUQ(f }WSc=Y m%qMno<4zq isf?nkd0nO8MrCMs2DWvu}[NOQ5LW5͋d;*ɨД7ɪ+n,[)hӸVR!#<^~];Q᳔'z?"ݖh8PIٟleUY=GWNO&Ӛq⼟Qk&Y5Q#. %CJ ^Ν $4qa}~*N=bGQVcjR%^. v̹t}l"f`[G0POtYWj1hb(VJ VB@ƨ$=al9bLIDlQ6@򜏎z?^#DItpnlTY7^drlۜw!U6C vCE+ݽ׃̀ G܀dƈ>)D&sIz*A-}d/QJ-8D|`?#YZ,Z9`֐QmtsW ,GHFgvaXͬB>;U>]uW̅{,R>G&*udL~۰'uE7B3J KZ+&͉;zA5ݻŗP6^!@D(l%9=LceH+G8NƳS e]Z!K$s8q;WjPjB]GYwSgZm= \ԫXY%.ٱIX_j5!N>ZvwľդI);Y[װF9:;![ԂMDW5'xׇ!U=\b#"l>ߞ]g+d ]vYbѧ =-p7ߡ-#VпK!TlU7[QUSQ BCUK4);WAL=4҆v9D7QY؞ɧ~Y7҆ZP&YC.wu%Vr9nڪ |۫iM#"disVܒ tс'3+6}q"{OmV w}6z W鞱h%2_-U97|\3RDx^iT;[@񶿐Ɖ`]4z>i;x^bVCuMi4ԾhV4^dFV=6vEمE*\ cWo҅aыE=AAzՒ;u5A"Ƈ02?C=F!*H  u$i'9, l[.:.ܛHASWVPu h]7ODGeqن%AK Dr-gѨ=m79v}8|Y/m 8~S[_ZhK ecr[a {xZAk8R)3/2tNkHV;ưc縭:iTR9p^))LMHXeY"Ovs*k؋zJJ%%y_# r5VbQ: ;Z Q}!xFHݟT.4}'4LRFYI$&aFҠ&U[kAGiPNV^k‘!t?/.^uJ"m}S<ޅ"b/u16%, ] L1㾎4Ko S kq2vvhy&;㓺R{_U!:ꕱ. ^DP"eL̺?)K-7T: af>ؙ(F3)g\M{zII9x >c9tQ[MRZk9enbI?`^WUM+~hlU6uz, (#nW@0e?yH?C.Ը3k,vK:O֩DR?PFdm:㑡SKLaR{_Uo')+eP"rY82YOQPyܕCڽs o6j / jVw74m(%)c5pz֨` JdG7a<ぎ9:xł[e`X%OtL)/X_ɖ;&/lL1f$IKed'ŃftVw60Z ygzB0%аd=m\jF#-W>vC _6X߶FV Ъg˜g3"XSmpBIT bigBxU+A?vD*GӾX]i}XbVg5ĪV- zwtL$lYsP&#ZWv6FWƠJ$ʂچۿ`}8-ޓܯ+,WM j/>zz(*IƦ9Ua>[ywY@H'%ؗA|XM,-- vDm%%IKC՝:xNm< 679C1QϚuHbB^P~zgӗL6m;t|)w/y$.UPmf ?௿ 1]J uۜOͩ1UAi?[2detB$`7Z@-+²:ӹ`czy9R$ ǘK1MתQS۔"¡L)3V},bs"1R}:LR FQ Ȏ:E? v5у%?hM\h9'3Չ a5fiNg 0:72#I3Љ! 2\q-1Ng"%Iz>0tJQR3u:YZ$>aNO=LvnZXomF&"[u[9ʻ:7 [ӵ梒Y)^3q0!#)ne߄ϲ{ ڶm/\j S95f.F ;膚I0 [?b0nrQSkzGp7;ݬ5:7r5.'qښWlң:wGo $&+|ʄ/?JT?m1NϪ%@((- P s3/Ckx-?҉x-j5vg5lAP XwA9d2]`c[즽g1_6P;KK;B5S:]K0U_ZhEݸX:L383w /Dd6ai͓bk>qZXi+G!0[]$ ' +Jb5=uKsi?߉hxoz@Qke}әC;!*GU2b y&y8WqK=òp48N|+x ! a3ߌe XVA3%S_3oLۭ9V8{p`^g=iw 1^ Sp2?;SllTFpӢ'OIrk-uWXyKge kg+6PitKΗhui>" ܵ\T/ACZ/:Gϭ9ڇӰ/{tШzHYb շU{\jAK*aȡ{ O?Jm jjۇj,(QZR,Ed A 2 TtXyQS՟UGTj VRFi5VH$[Yx1~%P+vLId^I f.*GRG#X^ΐݼpS( tʙoѓ pj%1yW~`f =rTK/$ F؎SOpڸgTZ6(84MX'X^ÚeY*=Fe; ۀg2ut(b:jˠD2F㞩հvJ.9l& 3 C5o =PUm\Hģ~nFO֋i@{T]6MGLUbŰAEW7f:I| [E/I3j%X6p?H5u0`ʠgqBlOz4g-լ XVK zTڃdp9 pp;q&:.ՆJKkɪ1>y!ݝAEwdu[ sĜ} Hu4>0-ͅ>*``ǻ@ <֟)dk(UcTs<*?[dmbOvfn(e̺#s*sJbo70 50Kyh٥d/G6C y5?Wݡe GҞ R`藚%\:u?_v3G6 eHNj͸.-艩\}N 3 MD̎“c'N1Z.nTA؟E}pWxsu~^ h1,! Pa[@# d};z[Lp .DuY84}~jZqv'?U;kffvێg_Л3ד`J\3c^=o_Q\nL5 +O0N] FZNoo,,5>h5k 7Ă: 'Duƨ]/ԸY[bJGv*||Q;q+U4ٝ:bWp hiKcP3o-Cta7?cJZg}-M.5L" ŭl˱s~]$y=$:VZB9Kgl ;%ߩ(9 b88+=g v[R1XƮ抎Ml5~ E ;g tMs*Dbb{^=/l! To8.I ;B?SDpF6vajU>J_S+:,yѽ5NwvR qw{5S+He{x,'*U_Zp<:_GY@S`=%X wڧG 3JgtZݙuTj3\BV|b<\͍m-GQ`G6$ϙ2Pm hݵMQǢtsl gW_:;>SozJLk57>"uS\PlzRKgI'zcGnkiF3Gi1stv@~ i9{ǓTIh!{,ibl$m-"'iN«/Lॄ
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1