Akiri: The Scepter of Xarbaal: Akiri, Book 1 (Unabridged‪)‬

Akiri is a blistering new heroic fantasy novel from the multiple award-winning international best sellers Brian D. Anderson and Steven Savile who have come together to create the first adrenalin-filled standalone novel in Akiri's tortured world.

Can one betrayal can save a kingdom? Will two destroy it?

Acharia is a nation at war. Ruled by the Sorcerer King, Zemel, who believes himself to be invincible. And with a weapon created in the pits of hell by the god of death he might well be. The ancient Scepter of Xarbaal harnesses a magic capable of shattering the very foundations of the world. But such power is borne at a cost. Those who dare test their will against its ancient evil are doomed to madness. Before the Sorcerer King can raze his entire kingdom to the ground, those closest to him risk everything by betraying him. They steal the scepter, hoping to release him from its insidious influence. But for Zemel there is no such salvation.

Driven to the edge of madness by a need for vengeance against those who have wronged him and a thirst for fire and death that no amount of war can slake, the Sorcerer King is willing to tear the world asunder to recover his lost treasure. Paranoia means that Zemel trusts no one, but there is enough of the old king left inside his mind to still respect one man: Akiri.

The Dul' Buhar are the deadliest of warriors, gifted extraordinary skills through the dark magic of their king, and Akiri is the greatest of them. His mind is as lethal as a steel trap, his blade twice as deadly. Born into a life of constant battle, he is unlike any man...which might just be his salvation. But if he succeeds on the mad king's quest, Akiri might well be the death of the world.

The Scepter of Xarbaal is a brand new pulse-pounding edge-of-your-seat adventure in the spirit of the very best heroic fantasy of old, a must-listen for fans of R. E. Howard's Conan, Joe Abercrombie's Blade Itself, and David Gemmell's Legend. With its fusion of classic heroic fantasy and modern grit, Akiri is sure to leave listeners gasping for more.