Publisher Description
Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.
The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.
High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gwynne s ambitious and well-constructed high-fantasy debut accelerates past a sluggish beginning to provide ample intrigue and action. The Banished Lands , a loosely allied collection of kingdoms, is viewed through multiple perspectives, but while Gwynne goes to great effort to connect readers to his primary characters, at times they are difficult to tell apart because of similar traits and missions. A prophecy of a coming war converges story threads, hinting at who will be faithful and who will fall. Ambitions lead to treachery, throats begin to be slashed, and prominent players are not spared from the bloodletting. Although written in a workmanlike style with scant flourish, the book is clearly influenced by epic series such as A Song of Ice and Fire, the Wheel of Time, and the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Having established the world and characters, the novel concludes on firm footing, with the promise of a rousing and rewarding epic to come.
