Dreamer's Pool

Blackthorn has lost her husband, her child and her work as a healer to a corrupt chieftain named Mathuin. Wrongly imprisoned, she is freed by one of the Fae, who asks a price. She must spend seven years using her healing gift for anyone who asks, and she must set aside her plans for revenge.

A silent, damaged man named Grim, whom she knew in prison, follows her out. Together they make a home at the edge of a mysterious forest in Dalriada, where Blackthorn begins to keep her bargain.

Their quiet routine is interrupted by Crown Prince Oran. His promised bride has arrived, but she is nothing like the woman he fell in love with through her letters. Something is wrong, and he comes to Blackthorn for help in working out what.

This is historical fantasy set in a magical version of early medieval Ireland. It mixes fairy tale with a grounded and often brutal reality, so the mood is darker than a pure fable. It is the first book of the Blackthorn & Grim series.