The Water of the Wondrous Isles

Stolen as a child and raised in isolation by a dangerous witch, Birdalone grows up beside the mysterious waters of the Wondrous Isles knowing that her life is not truly her own. Her chance for freedom comes through the Sending Boat, an enchanted vessel that carries her beyond captivity and into a world of strange islands, hidden powers, perilous journeys, and lives already entangled with her fate.

This fantasy romance blends the wonder of romantic fantasy with the movement of a fantasy adventure. Birdalone's journey leads from witchcraft and enchanted waters to the Castle of the Quest, a fellowship of maidens and knights, dangerous enemies, separation, battle, and the growing pull of her love for Arthur, the Black Squire. Magic shapes the road before her, but love, loyalty, and the desire to choose her own life determine where that road finally leads.

William Morris's The Water of the Wondrous Isles is an early work of classic fantasy filled with enchanted landscapes, supernatural women, magical travel, quests, captivity and escape. This rewritten public-domain adaptation preserves the original characters, major events, fantasy world, relationships, and story arc while presenting the tale in clearer, more immediate modernized prose.

For readers drawn to classic fantasy romance, enchanted-island fantasy, magical quests, witches, dangerous journeys, and romance woven through an immersive secondary world, this edition offers a distinctive bridge between the traditions of early fantasy and the modern fantasy romance experience.