Cynthia Voigt writes beautifully-- directly, simply, never skirting ugly issues, but emphasizing good.
THE KINGDOM SERIES
Very loosely connected, they run four altogether: Jackaroo, On Fortune's Wheel, The Wings of a Falcon, and Elske. I suppose they're not so much fantasy as set in an imaginary land, but the intrigue, characterization, and plotting are smooth and absorbing.
