The Gates of Dawn: Volume II of the Chronicles of Blood and Stone-Fast Shipping

Description

Epic fantasy found an exhilarating new voice in Robert Newcomb, whose monumentaldebut novel, The Fifth Sorceress, was hailed by readers and critics alike. And now,for all those spellbound by the tale of Prince Tristan, heir to the throne of Eutracia,his twin sister Princess Shailiha, the ancient wizard Wigg, and the fate of theirenchanted land, there is indeed more—much more—to be told. . . .

For three centuries, Eutracia was a kingdom at peace, ruled by a benevolent monarchyand guided by a council of wizards. But a horror from the past, long believed vanquished,returned with devastating fury. And when the battle against the bloodthirsty Sorceressesof the Coven was finally won, victory was not without its price. Now, the royal palacelies in ruins; the king and queen, the royal guard, and the Directorate of Wizardsare dead; the land is lawless; and Prince Tristan— forced by the Coven to murderhis father, the King—is a wanted man.

In a cavernous underground labyrinth, onceheadquarters of the wizards’ council, Tristan has taken refuge with his sister, Shailiha,her infant daughter, the wizard Wigg—the lone surviving member of the Directorate—andthe crippled wizard Faegan, returned from self-imposed exile in the forest of they face the daunting task of restoring order to Eutracia and winning backthe allegiance of her subjects. But suddenly, even these challenges pale beside atruly terrifying turn of events. The sacred jewel that is the source of all magichas inexplicably begun to lose its power. Without its age-old enchantment to sustaintheir spells, the immortal wizards will perish . . . and magic will vanish from Eutraciaforever.

At the same time, a mysterious and ruthless mercenary has declared a bountyupon the head of Prince Tristan. And an army of wizards on a mission to rid Eutraciaof monsters created by the Coven has fallen prey to an insidious breed of creatures—beingsthat can only have sprung from forbidden use of malevolent magic. With time and theirpowers dwindling, Wigg and Faegan desperately seek to discover who, or what, hassucceeded the dead Sorceresses in laying siege to Eutracia. But when the shockingtruth is revealed, and an evil that transcends life itself is made known, it is Tristan,more than any other, who will be stunned to his very soul. And it is Tristan whowill be thrust into the ultimate battle—for his life, his land, and the course ofhis destiny.