Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom Series by Beth Hilgartner

At first Alexandra thought it was a dream. She would just lie there in the forest, quite still, until she really woke up. But the birdlike little girl tugged at her hand again. She tried to explain: "I'm Zan, and I'm lost." The little girl only smiled, clearly not understanding.That was how Alexandra Scarsdale first encountered the Orathi, the gentle forest-dwellers. She woke from her own private sorrow into a mysterious, peaceful world that seemed removed from time... moreAt first Alexandra thought it was a dream. She would just lie there in the forest, quite still, until she really woke up. But the birdlike little girl tugged at her hand again. She tried to explain: "I'm Zan, and I'm lost." The little girl only smiled, clearly not understanding.That was how Alexandra Scarsdale first encountered the Orathi, the gentle forest-dwellers. She woke from her own private sorrow into a mysterious, peaceful world that seemed removed from time. The Orathi called her 'Tsan, which in their language meant stranger; but as she learned their words and their ways it became clear that she had been sent to them for some special purpose. And when emissaries from the City came with their cruel demands, Zan knew what her destiny was. Only she could protect her new friends from the peril that threatened them.Zan's quest was to take her far into alien lands, and it brought her a little band of companions whose unexpected talents combined with hers to win a surprising success. Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom is a fantasy in the grand tradition, filled with varied and fascinating characters and rich in color and adventure. less

The Weaver sat at the Loom, a frown lodged between his brows as he studied the pattern. Things were desperately wrong. The fabric of Fate was not as closely woven as it should be.The Feast of the Trickster is fast approaching, and the Weaver fears what that malicious goddess may do. With her power at its greatest, the very fabric of Fate is threatened. Somehow the Trickster must be stopped... moreThe Weaver sat at the Loom, a frown lodged between his brows as he studied the pattern. Things were desperately wrong. The fabric of Fate was not as closely woven as it should be.The Feast of the Trickster is fast approaching, and the Weaver fears what that malicious goddess may do. With her power at its greatest, the very fabric of Fate is threatened. Somehow the Trickster must be stopped.The only person capable of doing that is Zan--Alexandra Scarsdale, a young college student whose life color is already woven into the Loom.Five companions--a Minstrel, a Swordswoman, a Shapeshifter, a Prophet, and a Heartmender--are sent to Earth to find Zan and bring her back to their world. The Trickster, aware of the plan, also goes to Earth to locate Zan and keep the Five from her. An intense and sometimes comic series of adventures ensues as the Five and the Trickster attempt to find their way among the strange people and customs of New England. The Five are helped by a group of Vermont teenagers, while the Trickster is aided by a Boston psychiatrist who thinks he's found his most challenging case. But the greatest contest is still ahead when Zan, once found, has to make a decision that could change the pattern of the Loom forever.This satisfying sequel to Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom is full of fascinating characters, climactic conflicts, and emotional entanglements. The idea of Fate being woven with various strands is a vivid image, and the struggle to keep this fabric from unraveling becomes an epic adventure. less