Flight of the Raven (1990)

Aidan is Brennan and Aieleen's son - so he is in line to inherit the throne of Homana. But he is, and always has been, different. *Different* So say his parents and his grandparents... the rest of the Cheysuli and most of Homana, too. And the dreams... the dreams of the Lion Throne of the Mujhar - rejecting him; wanting no part of him. But the throne is his destiny... isn't it?

Definitely a departure from the other books in the series - where a warrior's fate has always been something that he or she knows absolutely. Finn's. Duncan's. Donal's. Carillon's. All well known by EVERYONE. And so is Aidan's. But this time, the knowledge of the shar tahls and the tribal knowledge of the Cheysuli themselves are thrown into question. The beliefs of the Cheysuli have been warped over time and now the gods themselves intervene in the life of a single man in order to guide him to the realization this his destiny is to educate the children of the gods. To teach them what they must know in order to make an informed decision in their own lives. It's a departure from the previous books and it takes much convincing for it to happen - but finally, thanks to the unwitting aid of Strahan's son, Aidan comes to accept his fate and embraces it willingly. ( )