Seven Circles 1: Circle at Center
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
In the mystical realm of the Seven Circles, all creatures live in harmony within their own sphere. The noble centaurs live in the forests. The goblins and trolls lurk underground. And in the tranquil center the most evolved beings of all—the elves and the druids—dwell in a peace that has lasted from time out of mind. That is about to change.
Disaffected members of all the races are gathering into a seditious force that may portend the fall of the Seven Circles into chaos. Strangers to brutality and warfare, the druids need a champion who can teach them to defend themselves. To this aim, they recruit warriors from a warlike world where only the strong survive. A primitive world where life lasts only as long as you can fight for it. A world called Earth.
“Absolutely nobody builds a more convincing fantasy realm than Doug Niles.”—R.A. Salvatore, bestselling author of The Demon Awakens
“Niles…writes so well that his characters come to life after only a few lines.” —Starlog
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Niles follows up his popular Watershed fantasy trilogy with this first book in a new trilogy. The standard fantasy-world denizens--dwarfs, goblins, trolls, etc.--dwell peaceably, each to its own Circle niche in the Seven Circles, and are benevolently ruled by the elves of Nayve, the city in the Circle at Center, seat of the great College and the Senate, home of the mystical Grove and of the druids and enchantresses who serve the one true Goddess. This peace is shattered, however, when the keeper of the Stone of Command is murdered and the Stone stolen. Then Zystyl, an evil Delver Dwarf, leads a rebellion against the good Seer Dwarves of the sunless Underworld city of Axial, in the First Circle. In Nayve, Belynda, elven sage-ambassador to the Fourth Circle, learns that a druidess named Mirandel is one of several enchantresses who have been teleporting human warriors from Earth, hoping that the barbaric humans can teach the enchantresses' people how to defend themselves against the evil invaders. Unfortunately one of those warriors is an insane knight from Earth's Crusades, Sir Christopher--and he now holds the Stone of Command and is using it to build an army of Delvers, centaurs and others, leading his own Crusade against the Goddess-worshipers of the Circles. Niles has again conceived a fantasy setting of great richness and scope. Although his characters rely on standard fantasy stereotypes ("noble" elves, "gruff" dwarfs, etc.), and the day is ultimately saved by a deux ex machina, his fans are sure to enjoy this spritely tale.
