The Inner Seas Kingdoms Series by Jeffrey Quyle

Kestrel is a resident and guard in the Elven nation of the Eastern Forest, typical in every way except that his partial human heritage makes him the victim of discrimination by those of pure Elven ancestry. And when the elves face war with the humans of the neighboring nations, Kestrel is distrusted and removed from combat duty... moreKestrel is a resident and guard in the Elven nation of the Eastern Forest, typical in every way except that his partial human heritage makes him the victim of discrimination by those of pure Elven ancestry. And when the elves face war with the humans of the neighboring nations, Kestrel is distrusted and removed from combat duty. But the gods of both races see a roll for Kestrel to play in a greater, and more sinister battle that will consume humans and elves alike, and they shower him with favors that press him into a new service as an elven spy. Only his superiors never expected Kestrel to find the life of the humans to be so appealing or his adventures to spin so far beyond expectations. less

Kestrel's adventures continue in "The Yellow Palace", the sequel to "The Healing Spring". His departure from Estone encounters trouble just days after his ship leaves the harbor, and Kestrel finds himself stranded on a desolate shore, hundreds of miles from safety as the novel begins... moreKestrel's adventures continue in "The Yellow Palace", the sequel to "The Healing Spring". His departure from Estone encounters trouble just days after his ship leaves the harbor, and Kestrel finds himself stranded on a desolate shore, hundreds of miles from safety as the novel begins. His goal has been to reach the human kingdoms of Graylee and Hydrotaz, to learn what plots the humans have to next attack the elves of the Eastern Forest, and his intention is to also track down the agents of Uniontown, the evil force that the goddesses have warned him is an even greater threat than the warring humans. However, the mighty Water Mountains stand between Kestrel and the humans. Faced with no good options, Kestrel chooses to try to cross the mountains alone in the winter time, and adventures ensue that will have consequences on all his intended goals -- the humans in their kingdoms, the elves in their forest, and even the gods who are battling one another! less

In “Road of Shadows”, the third book of the Inner Seas Kingdoms series, Kestrel continues on his quest to find a way to defeat the forces of Uniontown, the aggressive southern nation that is conquering its neighbors among the other kingdoms, using treachery and force to overcome its adversaries... moreIn “Road of Shadows”, the third book of the Inner Seas Kingdoms series, Kestrel continues on his quest to find a way to defeat the forces of Uniontown, the aggressive southern nation that is conquering its neighbors among the other kingdoms, using treachery and force to overcome its adversaries.Part-elven Kestrel is on his way from the elven kingdom in the Eastern Forest, returning to the northern marches of Graylee, so that he can rejoin the human girl he adores, Margo, as she tries to maintain and protect the manor house where her parents were slain by Uniontown’s supporters. As he crosses the plain of Hydrotaz on his way to Margo though, Kestrel’s journey is disrupted, and the consequence is a profound detour – the human god Growelf redirects Kestrel to travel through a portal to another land, where a group of sprites and elves are in peril, and need Kestrel to rescue them if they are to survive. In the strange land of two red suns, Allbanu, Kestrel comes to realize that the destruction being wrought in that world is only a foretaste of what will happen in his own land if Uniontown is allowed to gain victory. When he and the sprites return to the lands of the Inner Seas though, Kestrel will find that the threat of Uniontown can be so insidious and well-disguised that he may not recognize it until it has already burrowed into his own heart. less

The fourth volume of the Inner Seas Kingdom Series, A Foreign Heart follows Kestrel through a fast-paced series of adventures. With his goal now defined as defeat of the Viathin race that has invaded and begun to conquer the world of the Inner Seas, Kestrel works closely with his imp allies to race around the lands he knows -- the Eastern Forest, Hydrotaz, and Graylee.But the threats and challenges the Viathin evil poses are not limited to the places he is familiar with... moreThe fourth volume of the Inner Seas Kingdom Series, A Foreign Heart follows Kestrel through a fast-paced series of adventures. With his goal now defined as defeat of the Viathin race that has invaded and begun to conquer the world of the Inner Seas, Kestrel works closely with his imp allies to race around the lands he knows -- the Eastern Forest, Hydrotaz, and Graylee.But the threats and challenges the Viathin evil poses are not limited to the places he is familiar with. Kestrel will journey through the Water Mountains and try to reach the nations north of the mountains. He will find that the challenges in the north will not just be combat, but the culture as well. And his heart will be torn by the affections that he comes to realize, and the desire he is driven to pursue.There are new powers, new weapons, new characters, and new challenges that drive Kestrel across wide portions of the Inner Seas Kingdoms as he tries to defeat the Viathins and conquer the yearnings of his own heart. less

Kestrel has been drawn deeper and deeper into the battles in the world - first the battles between elves and men, then among men and men, and now he's come to be a participant in a battle among the gods themselves. He's fighting on behalf of the gods of the lands of the Inner Seas, fighting to help them stave off death at the hands of the invading god of the Viathins... moreKestrel has been drawn deeper and deeper into the battles in the world - first the battles between elves and men, then among men and men, and now he's come to be a participant in a battle among the gods themselves. He's fighting on behalf of the gods of the lands of the Inner Seas, fighting to help them stave off death at the hands of the invading god of the Viathins.In "Journey to Uniontown", the fifth and final book in the Inner Seas series, Kestrel is finally going to take the battle into the heart of the lands that the Viathins control. As he finishes the liberation of Seafare from the Viathin influence, new challenges, and new threats to the beautiful Moorin, will drive him on a journey down the Gamble River, traveling with new friends who bring weaknesses and surprises.Read the conclusion to the Inner Seas Kingdom series and learn how the many contradictions and conflicts of Kestrel's long-running battles are resolved. less

Kestrel had saved the world. His story began in “The Healing Spring” and continued through its most recent chapter, “Journey to Uniontown.” A young elf, he had been plucked from obscurity, and send on a mission. At first, he had ostensibly been an elven spy, watching the intrigues of the humans, but his greater role had been to grow into the role of acting as the agent of the gods... moreKestrel had saved the world. His story began in “The Healing Spring” and continued through its most recent chapter, “Journey to Uniontown.” A young elf, he had been plucked from obscurity, and send on a mission. At first, he had ostensibly been an elven spy, watching the intrigues of the humans, but his greater role had been to grow into the role of acting as the agent of the gods. Kestrel went through a grueling series of adventures in his battles, and his travels took him across more nations than any other elf of the Eastern Forest had ever traveled. He was able to make the journeys in part because he was part-human himself, and able to be made to look human, unlike the typical full-blooded elves of the forest, who looked down upon his racial ambivalence. When his battles finally ended, Kestrel made the long journey home to the Eastern Forest, and retired, he hoped, to live a peaceful life as a nobleman, the Warden of the Marches, a title and an estate granted to him by the king of the Eastern elves. But it turned out that a quiet life was not his destiny. Now, he has been tangled in the complex personalities and politics of the elven court at Center Trunk, capitol of the Eastern Forest. He is assigned to carry out a tiresome mission, instead of helping the elves and humans and imps who are his neighbors at Oaktown. He loyally agrees to make the trip to Kirevee in the Northern Forest as an escort to a political newcomer. But the trip turns out to have more challenges and revelations than expected, and Kestrel finds that he will have to wait much longer than he thought before he is going to go home again. less

When Kestrel is chosen by the gods to carry out dangerous and difficult duties once again, he finds that unexpected happenings will add to the challenges he faces. He knows that he will have to take another long journey to restore the water skin to its place above the lake in the southern mountains. The skin provides the necessary protection that prevents the Viathins from ravaging the lands of the Inner Seas, and Kestrel is the logical choice to restore it... moreWhen Kestrel is chosen by the gods to carry out dangerous and difficult duties once again, he finds that unexpected happenings will add to the challenges he faces. He knows that he will have to take another long journey to restore the water skin to its place above the lake in the southern mountains. The skin provides the necessary protection that prevents the Viathins from ravaging the lands of the Inner Seas, and Kestrel is the logical choice to restore it. But in addition, he is told to go beyond the boundaries of the world, to find the missing deities who have been lured and kidnapped by Ashcrayss, the god of the Viathins, and set the deities free, including his own father, the absent parent he's never known. Dangerous as that challenge is, an unexpected natural disaster cuts Kestrel off from the forces he has marshalled for the quest, and left him stranded in dire circumstances, where doing the right thing will have disastrous consequences in the mountains south of Uniontown, and in the strange land beyond. Follow Kestrel, Wren, Stillwater, and their companions as they fight their way along a perilous journey, and make contact with an unexpected deity! less

Kestrel found the way home, a way that was more convoluted than he expected, and one that split him apart from Lark and Wren and the rest of his companions in the latest battle against the Viathins. But they were all going home victorious, and would be reunited in Uniontown, he suspected, as he planned to pursue the young human duchess. But his trip home turned out to be interrupted by the one thing he never anticipated - a civil war among the elves, a battle against tyranny... moreKestrel found the way home, a way that was more convoluted than he expected, and one that split him apart from Lark and Wren and the rest of his companions in the latest battle against the Viathins. But they were all going home victorious, and would be reunited in Uniontown, he suspected, as he planned to pursue the young human duchess. But his trip home turned out to be interrupted by the one thing he never anticipated - a civil war among the elves, a battle against tyranny. Kestrel finds that in the Eastern Forest he has to put aside his plans to go to Uniontown so that he can pursue the larger quest for freedom and liberty among the elves, though the Rishiare Estelle, and the companionship of an exotic deity, make the battle complicated. Only when the civil war ends will he be able to make the journey to help Lark and her father, if it isn't too late. Follow Kestrel as he finds conflict where he hoped to never see it, and then has to face unexpected challenges and failures before he may find the happiness he seeks. less