FROM THE PUBLISHER

Nicias has never felt completely at home among the avians and serpiente in Wyvern's Court, despite his loyalty to Oliza Shardae Cobriana, the heir to both thrones. He is a falcon, the son of two exiles from Anhmik--and images of this distant island have always haunted his dreams. But when Nicias's visions become more like reality, his parents have no choice but to send him back to the homeland--and a royal falcon--they've tried their best to forget.
If Araceli won't bind Nicias's newfound magic, it could destroy him. In a place where everyone is a pawn, only one other woman has the potential to save Nicias. But she holds the keys to a dangerous power struggle that will force Nicias to choose between his duty--and his destiny.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes opens with a "blade dance" performed by Oliza, daughter of Zane, a serpiente, and Danica, an avian, who mated in order to make peace between their clans in the Kiesha'ra series launch title, Hawksong (about which PW wrote, "readers are likely to be caught up in the details of the avian Hawk's Keep and the serpiente palace"). The novel's main focus is on Nicias, son of two exiled falcons, who is loyal to Oliza (the heir to both clans' thrones) but is haunted by his visions and must make a terrible choice; a tantalizing ending suggests more to come. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT - Janis Flint-Ferguson

Fans of young writer Amelia Atwater-Rhodes will enjoy this third tale about serpent and bird shapeshifters. In this novel, Nicias Silvermead, son of Kel and Sebastian of Ahnmik, is an honor guard in the Wyvern's Court, sworn to protect Oliza, daughter of the hawk Danika and the cobra Zane and heir to the combined realm of serpents and birds. However, Nicias is himself of royal blood, a falcon with the magic of Ahnmik; he is the grandson of Araceli, the powerful queen who rules Ahnmik. As his magic manifests itself, he is lured back to Ahnmik, the realm his parents have long since fled. He is befriended by two falcons, and the stories he hears from them are quite different. He is uncertain about the truth of the white city of Ahnmik and the influence it might have on Oliza. The story is told by Nicias, whose voice conveys the confusion and uncertainty of his growing falcon magic. The magic takes him to his darkest fears and tempts him to avoid conflict altogether. That conflict threatens Oliza and the fragile truce between shapeshifters over which she will reign. In the end, Nicias steps up to his calling and becomes the fragile link between the realms of Ahnmik and Oliza. The story is detailed and intertwined with the myth and legends of Ahnmik, Ecl and Anhamirak, goddesses and keepers of the magic. The story concludes with the ambiguity necessary for the next volume in the series. (The Kiesha'ra Series, Vol. 3). KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Random House, Delacorte, 224p., Ages 12 to 18.

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-The intricate power struggles between various breeds of avian shapeshifters continue in this third book in the series. Nicias, 19, son of Kel and Sebastian, falcons who were stripped of their falcon magic and exiled from their homeland of Ahnmik, is one of the personal guards to Oliza, heir to the avian and serpiente thrones. He is loyal to her despite never having felt at home in Wyvern's Court. He has inherited his parents' magic and it will destroy him unless he can learn to control it. His parents reluctantly send him to Ahnmik to be taught to bind it by his grandmother, the Empress, and her heir, Lady Araceli. Nicias finds himself torn between his duty to Oliza and the political manipulation and newfound power he discovers as a royal heir on Ahnmik. His only ally is Darien, an exiled member of the Empress's royal guard. Despite the many characters in the series (a family tree is included), the personalities are uniquely drawn and the mythological avian world is vividly described. Characters from Hawksong (2003) and Snakecharm (2004, both Delacorte) return briefly and events from those books are recapped. This title lacks the compelling romance found in Hawksong, and focuses more on the history of the avian conflicts.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.