Entranced by the music and legends of the island, gifted with his grandfather's journal and a mysterious jewel, and bespelled by dreamlike images of a woman calling to him, Colin feels his inescapable destiny lies across the waters.

On the west coast of Ireland, in the Connemara region, the music is everything he hoped it would be, and the legends seem to come to life before his eyes. In the small town of Ballemor, Colin first encounters the woman of his dreams, Maeve Gallagher.

Maeve, a raven-haired beauty with eyes of emerald green, is the leader of a small group, the Oileanach, that has taken over the island of Inishcorr just off the coast and is making their stand against government officials determined to evict them. But Maeve and her followers are more than rebellious squatters--they are the living embodiment of ancient ways, of a time before mortals ruled the lands. And Inishcorr is their last hope for survival, their portal to the place they are meant to be.

But to open that portal, Maeve needs the willing assistance of her chose bard: Colin. Yet even as Colin falls under her enchantment, Maeve too must struggle against emotions she cannot afford to recognize. For to allow herself to truly care for Colin could spell the end of her people's hopes, dreams, and very existence.