Ordination
Book One of The Paladin trilogy
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A Country Shattered by War -- For generations, warlords fought bitterly for dominance in a land without a king, leaving a fractured, war-torn country plagued by thieves, slavers, and the servants of dark gods and darker magic... A Fallen Knight -- Allystaire Coldbourne, former castellan of Wind's Jaw Keep, walks away from his privileged position and into self-imposed exile amidst the ruins he's spent a lifetime creating. In the smoking remains of a destitute village, he finds an improbable survivor, a young girl named Mol. Reluctantly, he pursues the marauders who leveled Mol's village and sold the villagers into slavery. He follows their trail to a town of pirates and fugitives and exacts a bitter and violent justice. This sudden act of bravery and righteousness draws the attention of jealous and angry gods, embittered warlords, a downtrodden populace, and awakens a very ancient power, a long-absent goddess of mercy. A Legendary Journey -- Allystaire travels a treacherous path toward his Ordination as a holy knight of legend, a Paladin, a savior of the people. But to fulfill this role, he -- and the unexpected allies he finds along the way -- must face the demonic, sorcerous evil that stalks the land, the wrath of gods and men, and his own dark past.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Faith and tradition collide in Ford's promising series debut, set in a cod-medieval fantasy world where "the only place kings and barons give a damn about farmers and laborers is in legends." Landless and lordless knight Allystaire is skilled at sizing up people and situations, but no amount of hard-won experience can prepare him for being chosen as a paladin of the Mother, an ancient goddess hardly anyone remembers. Granted the gifts of strength, healing, and compelling others to speak the truth, Allystaire and his companions set out to bring justice to the world, starting with the lands ruled by greedy barons. Priests of well-established religions are suspicious of this new faith and its determined crusaders, who are rapidly gaining attention and support from the downtrodden. Ford's debut offers compelling characters and sharp dialogue, with just enough wry humor to keep this story of unlikely faith from becoming pompous or overwrought. Allystaire is a believable hero with an interesting past, and a future that promises plenty of action and adventure.