The Plains tribe sorcerer Fvlad is gathering forces to conquer the lands and enslave the minds of the Villagers. There is no time to lose for the young healer Dovella. She must travel to a nearby Forester village of skilled shagines to learn how to harness her extraordinary gifts in the age-old methods of mind protection. Only if she can master these skills quickly will she be able to protect her village from the invading sorcerer. An ancient prophecy alerts the sorcerer Fvlad to the existence of a many-gifted one who will be the key to the success of his plans for conquest. Believing that Dovella is needed to fulfil the prophecy, he captures her and keeps her prisoner while he tries to bend her will to his own ends. But do even Fvlad's own followers know the true extent of his ambitions? When Dovella learns that the sorcerer has traitors working for him in the Village, she is desperate to get word back home to the Security Master, but under the fierce eye of her fanatical guard Maleem, she sees no possibility of escape ... Author Anne Gray keeps her readers deeply involved in this fascinating sequel to her first young adult novel, Rites of the Healer. Fast-paced, suspenseful and full of unexpected twists, Healer's Touch brings to the fore contemporary issues like intolerance, the abuse of power and blind loyalty, in this beautifully plotted tale of an alternative world.