For this trilogy, Anne Bishop ventures out of Hell and focuses her story on the balance between the Fae and humanity ? the balance of nature, spirit, and flesh and blood people.

The first book in the trilogy, Pillars of the World, focuses on a young witch named Ari, an outcast because of her gift during a time when across the land witches are being persecuted and killed. When the ?Witches Hammer? arrives in Ari?s village, she becomes the target of his wrath. During all of this, she unwittingly takes a Faery Lord as a lover and must deal with the mistrust and distain that comes from his people.

What no one can understand is why the magic that tethers the Fae world to the human world disappears ? locking the Fae in a destitute land ? when the witches are murdered or driven from the land.

The second novel, Shadows of Light, continues the story but rather than following Ari we switch over to the Bard and the Muse ? two Fae royals that mingle among the humans and are determined to find the reason for the disappearing land and to stop the killing of the witches.

Moving onto book three, The House of Gaian, we see the lining up of the most powerful among the witches and the Fae to bring down the Witches Hammer and stop the killing and desecration of the land. Ari returns for a brief few pages ? still not sure why ? and we all feel better when the Fae, the witches, and the humans find balance and peace among each other. But, only after a battle of epic proportions.

I know, I know. . . my review reads like a movie trailer. Sorry. But, there isn?t much to say about this trilogy. Did I enjoy reading it? Definitely. Could I remember the story or characters the week after? Nope. Will I read them again? Maybe.

The first book was published the year following the publication of Book 3 in the Black Jewels series. You can see that she tries to diverge from that series as much as possible and she does a great job of it, but this is a shallow pool compared to the deep ocean she created in the Jewels. To be honest, she probably could have condensed this entire story into one novel and it would have been better.

Overall, the books are good but they lack both the character depth and storyline that the Black Jewels series had. Bishop skips around with her characters and then tries to tie them back together but it falls short. The story elements are well researched, well thought out and, in true Bishop form, make you believe. But beyond that, there isn?t much more to write home about.

I still love you, Anne Bishop. I?m just not ?in love? with your Tir Alainn trilogy. It’s not you. It’s me. We’re better off as friends. Really.