Fountain Of Dreams
By Josie Litton

     I have been a fan of Ms. Litton's for a couple of years. I fell in love with her Viking Trilogy and then waited with anticipation for her Akoran Trilogy. I have only applause for her latest and the first of her Fountain Trilogy. When I read Josie's books in sequence it is like going home; she brings her previous characters back in ways that make me laugh and cry.

     Niels Wolfson's first glimpse of the Akoran Princess, Amelia, captivates him. She is a sleeping beauty, but when awakened she is anything but docile. Her royal manner, as she berates him for kidnapping her, drips ice, much like the winter storms back home in Kentucky. No matter how much her seductive innocence calls to him, he has sworn to uphold the duty to his own country. If that means battling with princesses, then he is more than ready to go to war.

     Amelia Darcourt's lineage dates back thousands of years. She is not beautiful like her mother and aunts, but she does have her share of suitors - none of which suit her. She longs for a love like her parents share and her aunts and uncles. She does not plan to settle for a man who only plays at loving her. The man who rescues her from her kidnapper lights a spark in both her body and soul. When it seems he might return her feelings, Amelia gives the gift of herself.

     Amelia uses the gift she has of discerning another's innermost heart. She finds that although the man she loves has killed in the past, his heart is testimony to his loyalty to those he loves. When the man he has been tracking for committing a horrendous crime wounds Niels's brother, the man becomes an adversary to both their families. His successful attempt to take her from Niels's home has her fit to be tied. No one should be kidnapped twice. She decides to rescue herself this time, but her plan is forestalled when Niels arrives.

     In the ensuing battle, Amelia is injured and Niels's love is tested when her family spirits her away to the island of Akora. He follows and finds that the woman who won his heart without a battle is willing to go up against the ruler of Akora for their love.

      Ms. Litton has done it again in Fountain of Dreams. She woos her readers with romance, suspense, and a cliffhanger ending. I eagerly await the second book in this trilogy, Fountain of Secrets.