This short story explains it all. Uorsin is touted as a great King who brought the twelve kingdoms together. What I have to say is, "winners are the ones who write his-story". The interaction between Uorsin and Salena is depressingly sad. I admire Salena and find her sacrifice pretty amazing.
Ms. Kennedy does a good job of showing how it all began. Even though this is a prequel, I recommend against reading this one before reading the trilogy. It's much better to read it after the fact and experience the "ah ha" moment. This is a tightly written story which provides good insight into a missing piece. A mother's love knows no boundaries. Recommended for fantasy lovers.
* arc provided for review