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(3)
YA
After fifteen-year-old Ilena's father dies, she follows his vague but insistent instructions to travel east to seek a woman she has never met. Unlike her female peers in her sixth-century British village, Ilena has trained as a warrior, and her ability to wield a sword and ride into battle play a major role in her adventure. A little romance, plot developments concerning Ilena's unknown lineage, and plenty of action combine to create an absorbing first novel.