The Given was a passionate story about the fight for life and love in a dangerous and mystical time. We follow Aria through her travels into womanhood and Talon through his terrifying past and his journey toward hope for the future. Aria was a trancer, cast out by her family and taken in by strangers to become one of the most powerful trancers in her tower. She was Talon's Given and it was his responsibility to guide her into womanhood. But during the long, passionate ritual, they entered each other's souls and could not be torn apart in spirit. Talon could not admit his moment of weakness to the Warriors and Aria could not let Talon know that he had given her a son.

Seasons passed and Aria's tower was attacked by the Reapers. Everyone-save her beautiful son, herself and her best friend-was horribly murdered. Talon returned too late to help the people of the tower and only found that Aria was weak from childbirth and his son was gone, presumed dead.

Talon left the Warriors and his honorable post with them and tracked the Reapers to their hiding place to find the Reaper responsible for this tragedy. He forbade Aria from accompanying him and insisted that their son was dead and this was a mission of revenge. Aria, refusing to believe her son did not survive and feeling him in her soul, followed Talon until she was discovered, and they continued to travel together until her capture by the very Reapers who had her son and best friend.

Throughout their story Talon and Aria had to face their pasts and push themselves forward to an uncertain future-a future that might hold only heartache and suffering, far worse than any heartache and suffering that haunted them from the past.

This was a story of forbidden love and forgotten strengths. The tale of Talon and Aria was woven through magical times of goddesses and gods, spirits and a bonding with the natural world. Sharron McClellan captured the passion between Aria and Talon on their first meeting. The suffering that each character had to endure left me weeping when they were cut down and praying for the safe return of their son when they were so close. A must-read for anyone who feels strongly about love and passion and the strength that binds us.

Reviewed By: Nancy Peckford
(c) August 2004