Rebecca Churchwell 
The Song of the Hawk [EPUB ebook] 
A Dauphiné Chronicle

Mont Aiguille, a monolithic spear of limestone, pierces the sky above the French Alps.  Here, in a land steeped in forgotten magic, a dispossessed princess fights for her stolen birthright.  Ailith Valois, haunted by the brutal murder of her family, lives as a phantom in the mountain passes, her only companion the fierce determination to reclaim her throne from the ruthless warlord, Raoul Artois.
But Ailith is not alone.  Fionn Mac Leod, a wandering bard with eyes like a winter sky, carries a power as untamed as the alpine winds. His music is more than mere melody; it’s a force of nature, capable of weaving illusions and shattering stone. Yet, this gift is a double-edged sword, a volatile power inherited from a lineage shrouded in myth.
A chance encounter amidst crumbling monastery ruins brings Ailith and Fionn together.  She sees in his music a weapon against Raoul’s dark sorcery, a corrupted echo of Fionn’s own gift.  Their uneasy alliance ignites a perilous journey through treacherous mountain passes and into the heart of a kingdom teetering on the brink of war. Fionn’s melodies become anthems of rebellion, while Ailith unravels Raoul’s web of lies, uncovering a hidden truth about her lineage that could shatter their fight before it truly begins.
Their quest leads them to Elara Dubois, a reclusive herbalist who holds the key to Fionn’s past and the true nature of his power – a mystical connection to the spirit of the hawk, a creature of both reverence and fear.  As Raoul’s influence spreads like a poison, their journey becomes a desperate race against time, Fionn’s gift now a beacon that exposes them to relentless pursuit.
Amidst the chaos, a fragile love blossoms between Ailith and Fionn, a flicker of hope in the encroaching darkness. But the final confrontation looms beneath the towering walls of Ailith’s ancestral castle, now Raoul’s stronghold.  There, a terrible truth awaits: the key to defeating Raoul lies not on the battlefield, but within Fionn’s own suppressed memories, inextricably linked to the magic he wields and the enemy he must face.  Can Fionn master the Song of the Hawk, a melody of breathtaking beauty and devastating power, before it consumes him? Or will the kingdom fall, along with the love he’s found amidst the ruins?