Brief backstory[]
Amara, orphaned in childhood in Parcia, came under the patronage of Gaius Sextus. She attended the Academy where she enrolled in the top-secret Cursor section, studying under her patriserus Fidelias. She graduated with honors as Amara ex Cursori Patronus Gaius, dubbed with a courtesy title Countess. She is a very strong windcrafter and loyal to her bones.
Relationships[]
She is loyal to the First Lord Gaius Sextus, the Realm of Alera, the Crown, all Alerans, and the rule of law. She despises the High Born of the House of Aquitaine.
She falls in love with Bernard of the Calderon Valley in book 1. However, a Cursor to the Crown is not allowed to wed or even to love — in case loyalty is divided or state secrets are discussed — so they keep their affair a secret. Thinking death is all but certain, she secretly marries Count Calderonus Bernard (book 2).
- “She is also the wife of that Calderonus fellow. The founder of House Calderonus.” (Princeps’ Fury, ch 13)
Eventually they live together at Garrison in the Calderon Valley (book 4). She may be unable to bear children after being struck by the blight, which causes her a great deal of heartache. Her husband Bernard is Count Calderon, a powerful furycrafter and one of Alera’s Citizens, so he has an obligation to sire children.
She is also a close friend to Tavi, and eventually Isana, Placidus Aria, Doroga, etc.
Furycrafting[]
As a cursor of the crown Amara has rudimentary training in all forms of furycraft.
Windcrafting[]
Amara is a powerful windcrafter, using her wind fury Cirrus to perform advanced Windcrafting techniques.
Amara is possibly the fastest flier in Alera, having broken the Academy's speed record when she was a student. Amara enjoys flying immensely, and loves testing the limits of her speed. She can exceed the speed of sound and has produced sonic booms with her flight, once even doing so when throwing a knife.
Amara can use her windcrafting to bring the air in front of her into focus, creating a lens through which she can see far away scenes and objects up close. Under the tutoring of First Lord Gaius she learned to shape her windcrafting into a veil, bending the light around her to appear nearly invisible (Captain’s Fury). She can also use her crafting to send her voice in a direction, allowing for long distance communication. She can also craft the wind in a small area to prevent sound from leaving it, allowing for private conversations.
Cirrus[]
Amara's wind fury manifests in the form of Cirrus, a slender horse made of wind and cloud. Cirrus enjoys flying just as Amara does, and joins in her euphoria when testing the limits of their speed together.
Cirrus, wind fury, with Amara
SPOILERS by Book[]
Book 1: Furies of Calderon[]
When she was an academ, Fidelias served as her patriserus in Cursor Training, but revealed himself as a traitor during her final exam exercise. She fled to Calderon Valley, where she met Tavi during a vicious furystorm sent by Thana Lilvia to keep trespassers away from Mt. Garados, not far from the Princeps' Memorium. Afterward, she sent Tavi ahead to attempt to warn Riva and Garrison, but when he is kidnapped by the herdbane, she and Bernard must warn Garrison and lead the defenses there. She forms a romantic attachment with Bernard, but they keep it a secret.
Bernardamara with their Furies
Book 2 Academ's Fury[]
Amara and Bernard once again lead the troops of Garrison, this time on an attack against the Vord. They secretly marry when they think they will die soon. Doroga officiates in his title as head of state for Marat and chieftain for Gargant Tribe.
Book 3 Cursor's Fury[]
Amara leads a covert operation with High Lady Aquitainus Invidia, Bernard, Aldrick, and Odiana to free High Lady Placidus Aria, Rook’s 5-year-old daughter Masha, and the daughter of High Lord Atticus Quentin from the stronghold of High Lord Kalarus Brencis. During those events, Amara believes she is pregnant, until her menses return near the end of the book. Amara asks a pardon for Rook and receives it. She then asks Aria for a pony (for Mashaa) and a place for Rook and Masha to live on a steadholt in Placida. Aria happily agrees.
Book 4 Captain's Fury[]
Amara embarks on a dangerous mission with Bernard and Gaius Sextus to defeat Kalarus Brencis. At the conclusion of this mission Amara feels "betrayed" by the First Lord and resigns her post as a cursor.
Book 5 Princeps' Fury[]
Amara and Bernard are asked by the First Lord to sneak into Vord infested territory in hopes that they might discover the source of the Vord's new power over citizens. They do so, aided by Rook who gives her life to stay silent. They also rescue 300 knights and citizens (including old firecrafter Gram, previously the Count at Garrison) and the nasty Senator Valerius, before they could be enslaved with the Slave Collar.
Book 6 First Lord's Fury[]
Amara and especially Bernard provide the last bastion of defense across the Calderon Valley and at the highly fortified Garrison. Also, Amara kills the traitorous Aquitainus Invidia Nihilus, who was in league with the Vord Queen.
In the epilogue it is revealed that Amara is with child, her blight being cured by the "blessing of night" mushroom which she ingested to recover from the poisonous injuries inflicted by the Vord Queen. Bernard and Amara also adopted Rook’s mischievous daughter Masha and a little boy, a war refugee.
Missions with Bernard[]
SPOILERS!!!!!!!!
Series will be spoiled!!!!!
Amara, both as a Cursor for The Crown, and a highly gifted windcrafter and member of the Citizenry, is at the center of numerous missions. She and Bernard work together, racking up quite a tally.
- Both helped defeat Aquitaine’s plot in Second Battle of Calderon (Book 1)
- They both helped to kill the Vord queen in Calderon Valley at Aricholt (in book 2)
- Both helped rescue Placidus Aria and Atticus Quentin’s daughter, and Rook’s child Masha, from High Lord Kalarus Brencis (book 3)
- Bernard crippled High Lord Kalarus Brencis, who was about to murder Amara, by shooting his windstream with salted arrow, sending him plummeting down into the trees (book 3)
- Guided Gaius Sextus secretly into Kalare to kill high lord Kalarus Brencis (book 4)
- Working with Bernard and unexpectedly aided by Rook, Amara kills Kalarus Brencis Minoris and frees about 300 knights, including old Lord Gram, next in line for a Slave Collar (book 5)
- Protected High Blood Furycrafters at Riva from wild furies and the vord contingents
- Count and Countess Calderonus prepared the Calderon Valley, including Garrison, for defending refugees of the Vord War (book 3-6)
- Amara killed Nihilus of Nusquam (First Lord’s Fury)
- Amara arranged for Windwolves to show up at final battle at Aricholt, thus helping buy time for Gaius Octavian to kill the queen (book 6)