Barkson's Journey

In a pulse-pounding race against time, Lucinda Barkson takes off on a critical quest across the country to track down each member of the Kirilli family and warn them against the coming danger. Spurred by Barkson’s promise to Augusta Kirilli to protect her siblings, Barkson must battle time and unknown magic to protect not just the Kirillis but the entire Protectorate.

With its nail-biting pace and shocking twists, this thrilling novel continues Rusch’s masterful melding of epic fantasy and steampunk while continuing to prove her place as the greatest storyteller of our time.

“It’s a delight to return to a popular fantasy setting after so many years, and to see a skilled author like [Kristine Kathryn] Rusch finally realize her ambition for this series.”

—Black Gate on The Kirilli Matter

“A very good, very large fantasy...nicely done and with a particularly satisfying and unexpected resolution.”

—Science Fiction Chronicle on The Sacrifice

“Rusch’s greatest strength…is her ability to close down a story and leave the reader feeling that the author could not possibly have wrung any more satisfaction out of the piece.”

—The Kansas City Star

“Kristine Kathryn Rusch integrates the fantastic elements so rigorously into her story that it is often hard to remember she is not merely recording the here and now.”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“Whether [Rusch] writes high fantasy, horror, sf, or contemporary fantasy, I’ve always been fascinated by her ability to tell a story with that enviable gift of invisible prose.  She’s one of those very few writers whose style takes me right into the story—the words and pages disappear as the characters and their story swallows me whole…. Rusch has style.”

—Charles de Lint