About a year ago I read a book I really liked, and wanted to read the next in the series, which I believe wasn't out yet. Now though, I can't remember the title or author, and I don't think I ever added it to my Goodreads list for some reason.Anyway here are a few details of the story and maybe someone can help me:
It was about a young woman and former prostitute who found out she had powers that formerly, only men had, or rather, some women got these powers, but when they had tried to use them, they had been driven mad. These powers drain someone, somewhere of their life force as they are being used. The men who have this power are used in kingdoms as advisors and protectors and have a strict code that they can't use their powers to kill another man with the same kind of power. This woman who has the power is forced into killing a man who has the power, and must keep in hiding to keep from being discovered as she would surely be put to death. The person whom she is draining of life to obtain this power is unknown to her, a prince, but she keeps seeing fleeting images in her mind of him and finally discovers who he is and meets him. They fall in love even as he is being drained by her, and she tries not to use her power, but evil is afoot and in his own kingdom, his own father has gone mad and needs to be destroyed along with his evil helper and in the process, the prince is killed by her.
Other bits of info: the main character, Amalla or something like that I think, can shape-shift, as can the men who have this power, and she takes the form of an eagle at times. At the northern boundary, where the evil beings were once confined, there are some kind of obelisks that are filled with the bones of witches who were buried alive inside to provide the power to keep the evil bound. As Amalla (or whatever her name is) flies as an eagle near these boundaries, her sense of direction gets all wacky. She went up there to examine the obelisks because there were reports that they were beginning to break down. There are certain people who have been put in charge of being caretakers of these things (the obelisks--not what they're called in the book, but I can't remember. Not very helpful, I know.), who are also going to check on the things.
Meanwhile there is more evil in the form of some hideous flying monstrosities with iridescent wings that are incredibly hard to kill, attacking from the north--thus the awareness that the protective boundary system is breaking down.
Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?
[This message has been edited by Smaug (edited March 09, 2010).]
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