According to legend, the last king of the Harshini sired a half-human child, known as the Demon Child, born to destroy a god . . .  BestFantasyBooks.com lists  Medalon  in the world's top 30 best political fantasy books along with New York Times Best Seller,  Game of Thrones .    The small country of Medalon is caught between the vast nation of Karien in the north and the nations of Fardohnya and Hythria in the south. For centuries the Medalonians co-existed peacefully with the Harshini, a magical race that abhors killing. But they have been exterminated and in their place the Sisters of the Blade rule Medalon from their once magical Citadel. An elite army of Defenders enforces the Sisterhood's oppressive rule and ensure the Harshini and their gods never return. R'shiel, only daughter of the First Sister of the Blade, rebels against the Sisterhood when her mother's politicking gets too much for her to stomach. Her half-brother, Tarja, a Captain in the Defenders, rebels with her when he learns the secret their mother has kept hidden all these years, and realizes she will stop at nothing to protect it. Tarja and R'shiel flee for their lives, but soon find themselves caught up in the heathen rebellion against the Sisterhood. With their new allies, their lives take a turn neither could ever have imagined. Meanwhile, far south in Hythria, the land ruled by the powerful Wolfblade clan, Brakandaran the Halfbreed, the legendary Harshini outcast, is secretly called on by the last hidden remnants of the Harshini to find the demon child, the half-human child of the dead Harshini king, Lorandranek.  Sparkling high fantasy debut. Fallon brings a fair quota of wit and a healthy dose of realism ... engaging. This is a good, solid start to what will no doubt be an epic series. Fallon's writing is strong .... Epic fantasy readers will no doubt want to follow this story. Characterizations ... are well realized, and the suspense is palpable throughout. Medalon is an intriguing, intelligent and fun read with a refreshing take on female characters so often not seen in the genre. ( Elizabeth Haydon ) "A gripping tale of warring ambitions, politics, and real people. The characters (and even the gods!) spring to vivid, believable life, making Medalon a great read. More, please!"-Ed Greenwood [Fallon] has a sweet way with language that draws you in and compels you to read, but it was the whole political set up that intrigued me the most. She paints a very complex system with ease, so that it all comes across simply and clearly. All in all I was impressed with this first novel from a new author and I eagerly await book two. ( Altair ) Interesting and likable main characters, intriguing and suspenseful plots . . . Medalon starts off almost immediately with a murder, intrigues and plenty of unknowns which make for suspenseful reading. ( Alice News (Alice Springs, Australia) ) "The fantasy genre has its baggage--Renaissance fairs, role-playing games, Christopher Lambert. So credit Fallon for exploring themes like dirty politics and religious tolerance for the launch of her Hythrun Chronicles series, a bestseller in her native Australia . . . an intriguing soap opera of espionage and family revelations."-- Entertainment Weekly , 4/30/04, Nisha Gopalan "This is a powerful, solid, imaginative, sometimes brutal fantasy novel with a splendidly worked out cast of characters."--Piers Anthony "A sparkling high fantasy debut. Fallon ponders all these possibilities and more in this satisfying melodrama, stocked with well-developed characters with clear motivations that carry them through a series of byzantine plots and counterplots, a mini-rebellion and even face-to-face contact with a variety of gods."-- Publishers Weekly "MEDALON is an intriguing, intelligent and fun read with a refreshing take on female characters so often not seen in the genre."--Elizabeth Haydon "Fallon brings a fair quota of wit and a healthy dose of realism . . . engaging."-- Kirkus Reviews "Medalon starts with a bang and just keeps on going with very few places to take a breath. It starts almost immediately with a murder and other intrigues and plots go from there. Jennifer Fallon does an excellent job of painting a complex system so that it all comes across simply and clearly. The high adventures are well written and loads of fun. I would class this tale on a level with Robin Hood as it shows that not all people are alike but many of their dreams are. Jennifer Fallon's characters are rich and full and whether they are nobility, warlord, sailor or salt of the earth they ring true. This book is a wonderful import from Australia. Jennifer Fallon has included everything that a fantasy epic needs; it has heroes, love, honor and terrible loss. As I came to the end of Medalon, I kept thinking "Oh, it can't end now!" Ultimately, of course, it has to, but at least I can look forward to the next installment. Since the entire trilogy has already been publis