Bøger af Robert Ryan

The chaos magic of demons strives to break free of primeval shackles. And Shar Fei, born to restore the empire, might instead unleash anarchy... The many tribes that once formed the Cheng Empire are marching to war. No chiefdom, village or family is left untouched. But will it make a difference? Shar sparked the rebellion, and now has two massive armies. But the tyrannical shamans she seeks to overthrow have as much. Conflict is coming such as the empire has not seen since the Shadowed Wars. Yet more dangerous still is the secret she holds. The demon in her twin swords talks to her. She needs them to win. It wants her mind as an entry back into the world. The battle for her soul mirrors the battle for the empire. And the gods, to prevent demons unloosing chaos into the world, condemn Shar to death...

The future of nations stands in peril, and all pivots on the valor of one warrior...The king of Faladir, possessed by evil, prepares to conquer other lands. An army of men supported by creatures of dark sorcery gathers beneath his foul banner. And the king, at their head, wields an ancient talisman of unstoppable power. But he still knows fear.Faran, a simple hunter who has learned the famed skills of a Kingshield Knight, begins a quest to thwart the king. But he seems doomed, for even in success he is marked for death. Or worse.As part of his quest, he must travel the void. It is a realm of spirit and magic, and he fears its misty paths of danger and deception. Yet there, as the final battle between light and dark draws near, he will discover a secret long hidden from him. One that the king has learned first and that could destroy him. If Faran lives...

Shar, the emperor-to-be of prophecy, raises an army against the shamans who enslave the land. But the shamans fight back... Her trust betrayed by a friend, Shar is abducted. Even if she escapes, time is against her. The shamans gather an army of their own, and unless they are checked swiftly no force will stop them. Bound and humiliated, she yet vows to return to her army. But escape is impossible. The army she formed will fall apart without her, and the rebellion against the iron rule of the shamans will collapse before it begins. Yet like a sword fashioned of fired steel, glowing hot and beaten into shape, she is forged by destiny to fulfill her purpose. Or die. But far away an old man, wreathed in mystery, implacable in hatred, unchecked in ambition, draws his own plans against shamans and Shar alike. And he cares nothing if he destroys the world to fulfill them...

A marauding horde. A famed city. A lone man who stands between them. Can one man defy an army? Only one of the legendary Raithlin would try. But trying is not succeeding - nor even surviving. Lanrik is confident in the time-honored skills of the Raithlin scouts. He tries to slow the army long enough for a warning to reach his home city. But treachery, political intrigue and ties of loyalty test him more than the enemy. He forms a bold plan against overwhelming odds to protect all that he loves. But his choices lead him ever deeper into a life-changing struggle. Dark forces of sorcery and witchcraft are on the move. So too are the powers that contend with them. The conflict draws him into a quest for the safety of the whole land and toward a girl who comes to mean more to him than anything. He enters a world of magic: sometimes beautiful, often perilous and always unpredictable.

Faran flees enemies who would kill him. But his greatest threat is his protector...Fate has chosen him as the prophesied Seventh Knight. Supposedly, he will rise to combat the forces of evil. He wants no part of that. But he does have a destiny, and one of his own choosing.The king and his six knights seek Faran's death for what he might become. But in turn, he seeks theirs for what they have already done. They brought fire and murder to his village, and destroyed all that he ever knew and loved. For this, he will make them pay. But justice comes at a price.He does not have the skills with blade or magic to challenge his enemies. So he must begin to learn them, even if it sets him on the path of knighthood. He dedicates himself to study the arts of those he hates, and bides his time.But his enemies hunt him. And the wizard who will become Osahka to him, The Guide, and teach him the ways of the knights, brings with him a deadly danger that no one foresees...

Ancient evil wakes from eons old sleep, and pits its strength against the world of man...Brand, exiled since his youth from the land he should rightfully rule, returns home. But nothing is as it seems, and the usurper who murdered his parents and sent countless assassins to kill him is not his greatest threat.A magician serves the usurper, and his power is of a kind both deadly and rare. Brand does not know of his existence, but the magician divines his coming and his purpose. He cannot let Brand live, for he is the sort of man who can tumble thrones and challenge fate itself.Brand, intent on righting past wrongs, gathers an army as he journeys. But enemies beset him. Beasts of magic hunt him. And the pale swordsman who is not a man stalks him across the land. Brand enters a world of magic, a time of chaos and a crossroads of destiny. For a dark shadow of evil reaches forth to conquer, and one man will not stop it, nor will one kingdom sate its lust for dominion...

War strides across the land, and ancient gods pull the threads of destiny...Brand has passed through sorcery and battle, surviving everything his enemies sent against him. So far. But each time he discovers an enemy, he finds only another, and a greater, behind them.Now, his enemies number not just Unferth the Usurper nor Horta the Magician, but also ancient gods that once walked the world. And they dream of bending it to their will again.He learns that the Trickster, one of the greatest of the old gods, has set a trap for him. But he can spare little time to think on that, for a more obvious danger is coming. War. And the outcome will decide not just his own destiny but that of the realm. Unless the Trickster kills him first...

Dark forces stir. The Four Horsemen ride. And ancient prophecy rushes to fulfillment...Gil will be king one day - if his enemies don't kill him first. To protect himself, he learns what he must. History teaches him to understand people. The warrior arts offer protection against assassins. And the secrets of the mystic armor him against dark spells.His enemies are strong, and they have hated him since before he was born. The blood in his veins makes it so. His great ancestor defeated them in ages past, and he seeks to discover his dangerous heritage. They seek to kill him before he fulfills his destiny.Ploys unfold, armies march and traps are set. Prophecies vie with secrets hidden in the past. It is a time of battle, a time of chaos, and a time where gambles could triumph - or destroy worlds. Gil must defeat the Four Horsemen, embodiments of ultimate evil, or the sorceress who commands them will gather a vast horde and begin a bloody trail of world-spanning conquest...This omnibus contains the entire Son of Sorcery trilogy.

The final battle approaches, and the threads of prophecy tighten... Gil has not discovered how to defeat the sorceress who threatens the realm. And time has run out. Ginsar commands not only blood magic, nor just the terrifying Horsemen, but also a vast army - and it is massed mere days away. But Gil's people will not cower behind walls of stone. No enemy has ever breached the city defenses, but aided by sorcery this one will. So, Gil leads the army on a sudden march to take the fight to Ginsar before she is ready. It is a desperate gamble, and one that could turn to ruin and despair. Strategies come to fruition, ploys unfold and traps are set. Prophecies for the future vie with secrets hidden in the past. It is a time of turmoil, a time of chaos, and a time where gambles could triumph - or destroy worlds. Gil is at its heart, ready to be king, but perhaps fated to see all that he loves burn to ash and smoke... This is the final book of the Son of Sorcery trilogy.

Blood magic stirs. Evil lurks in every shadow. And prophecy rushes to fulfillment

Four Horsemen shall come, the prophecy warns, and they will trample the world beneath hooves of fire... Gil will be king one day - if his enemies don't kill him first. To protect himself, he learns what he must. History teaches him to understand people. The warrior arts offer protection against assassins. And the secrets of the mystic armor him against dark spells. He will need it all. His enemies are strong, and they have hated him since before he was born. The blood in his veins makes it so. His great ancestor defeated them in ages past, and he seeks to discover his hidden heritage. But they plot to prevent him learning his destiny. But defeating Gil is not enough. The sorceress Ginsar stretches forth her power. Prophecy forebodes that she will summon the Four Horsemen - creatures of the pit. With them, she could lead vast hordes on a rampaging conquest of other kingdoms. Gil must stop her. Not just for his people, nor other realms. But because summoning dark magic comes at a terrible price. One that could destroy the world...

The final battle draws near, and the fate of men and gods hangs in the balance...Brand has defeated the army of Unferth, and the usurper lies dead. His magician, Horta, is also humbled. From the ruins of battle, Brand forges alliances and brings warring tribes together toward a single, all-important purpose.But time is running out. Nor does he have soldiers enough to face what comes. For the army of the Kar-ahn-hetep is on the move, and the gods of that warlike people march with it. Dread flies before them, and darkness falls over the land.What must follow is a battle Brand cannot win. But he will fight it anyway. Yet, unknown to him, a desperate hope exists. That spark is held by Horta, his enemy, and the magician might as easily snuff it out as flare it to life. But the will of the Dark God is bent upon him, whose only thought is to crush Brand forever...This is the final book of the Dark God Rises trilogy.

Against the many, the king sends one.Brand is the youngest bodyguard to ever protect the king, but he may never grow any older. A horde of mankind's ancient enemies lays siege to Cardoroth city. During the day, the clang of blades, the mad shrieks of the foe and the hiss of swift-flighted arrows cuts the air. At night, the sorcerous chanting begins.Brand ignores it all. His one duty is to guard the king. But the realm teeters on the brink of destruction and the king knows that his bodyguard, touched by fate in ways that neither of them understand, is the only man with the skills to save it. He asks Brand to undertake a last-chance quest to save all that they love.Brand accepts the mission. Soon, enemies track him across strange lands, beasts of foul magic stalk him and an emissary of evil hunts him. Amid it all, he meets a beautiful but deadly girl who aids him - for reasons of her own. She knows secrets that she will not tell, but she does reveal that more is at play than just the fate of kings and realms. Ancient forces, drenched in long-forgotten blood, seek to plunge the world into the dark. The odds pile against him, but not for nothing was he the king's last hope.This boxed set contains the entire Durlindrath trilogy.

Fate is not finished with Brand

Brand is a warrior . . . but he fights a battle beyond any skill of blades. The forces of the Dark are rising, and the Light is not gathered to oppose them. Brand takes up the task, but he is a simple man, already grappling with a great burden. To survive, he must become more than he is, but in doing so he will open himself to powers that will change him forever. In the north, the enemy lays siege to the city he loves and threatens all who bravely defend it. Time slips away, for even great courage has limits. To the south, the Dark grows and reaches across the land. But Brand strikes out to the west, for that way lies his only hope. But hope is a perilous thing. In this case it takes the form of a mysterious girl. In her he trusts. She alone can help him, and he alone can help her. Yet she also has a task. And her choice, of Light or Dark, is not yet made . . .

Bright swords. Dark sorcery. A city stalked by enemies. Brand, though descended from chieftains, wanders the land of Alithoras with no possessions save the clothes he wears and his oft-needed sword. But the blade belonged to his forefathers, and he yearns to prove himself worthy of a long line of heroes. Drawn to Red Cardoroth, he discovers that the city earned its name for good reason. Enemies without plot its downfall. Traitors within conspire toward its destruction. All about him swirls a cesspool of mistrust, betrayal and shadow-hidden sorcery. Yet he meets the wizard Aranloth and finds that loyalty, trust and courage vie against the dark forces of the world. He swears to serve the king. But the king is under constant threat, and swords and spells alone will not save him. Nothing will. But that does not stop Brand. He gives no quarter to the schemes of men, is not cowed by sorcery, and will not yield . . . even to fate. A Spell of Swords is a group of short stories that form a prequel to the Durlindrath epic fantasy series.

The Cheng nation teeters between hope and ruin. Plots and schemes swirl, and one woman is the beating heart of rebellion... Shar contends against the shamans who rule. She has won victories, but the prophecy that names her as emperor might still turn to dust. The shamans have set a vast price on her head - ten thousand in gold - and it will test the loyalty of even her friends. This is the one chance her people have at freedom, and she will not let it pass. Her efforts to raise an army have proved effective, but against an enemy that invokes magic in battle, sharp swords are not enough. She needs sorcerers of her own, and risks a bold quest to get them. Rumor tells of a hidden prison where men of magic are jailed. If she frees them, they have the power to protect her army. Yet she cannot be sure of their support, for once they were shamans themselves. Worse, it was her own forefather who imprisoned them...

Men hunt him. Magic stalks him. A hero's heart drives him. Lanrik's enemies will stop at nothing to get his legendary sword. He'll do anything to keep them from it - until they poison Erlissa and give him an unthinkable choice. In their hands, the sword will wreak mayhem upon the land. But without the cure they offer in exchange, the girl he loves will die. Cornered, he fights back with a daring plan. It offers hope to save Erlissa, and a chance to prevent chaos, but at a price few would pay. He begins a quest to challenge fate itself, for it will lead him to the tombs of the Letharn - the very place where Erlissa foretold his death.

Against the raging swords of the enemy . . . they sent one man. Brand is the youngest bodyguard ever to protect the king, but he may never get the chance to discover his future. A horde of mankind's ancient enemies lays siege to Cardoroth city. During the day, the clang of blades, the mad shrieks of the foe and the hiss of swift-flighted arrows cuts the air. At night, the sorcerous chanting begins. Brand ignores it all. His duty is to shield one man from death. But fate forces him to leave the king that he swore to guard, the man who is like a father to him, in deadly peril. For the king sends him on a last-chance quest to save the realm. Enemies track him across strange lands. Beasts of foul magic stalk him. A beautiful but deadly girl aids him - for reasons of her own. She reveals that more is at play than the fate of kings and realms. Ancient forces, drenched in long-forgotten blood, seek to plunge the world into the dark. The odds pile against him. But he is Brand, and not for nothing did he earn the king's trust.

A realm at risk. A quest for hope. A prophecy of ruin. Grim war casts a shadow across the land. Hidden armies gather in nighted valleys. Esgallien City, ruled by a false Witch-queen, lies at the mercy of its many foes. Lanrik faces an impossible quest. Only one man has the power to overthrow the queen and ready Esgallien to fight: Aranloth, the greatest wizard of the age. But for him to do so, Lanrik must free him from the ring of sorcerers who hold him captive. He cannot do it by himself. He dreads taking Erlissa, though she has magic to help. But he has no choice. The land's needs outweigh his fears, and the impossible never stopped him before. He sets out to save all that he loves, but the words of a long-dead king haunt him. Nothing lasts forever. Not men, nor chiefs . . . nor even cities. This is the final book of the Raithlindrath series.

A queen of black sorcery. A fear-quelled city. A quest into darkness. The city of Esgallien groans beneath the Witch-queen's iron-gripped rule. Swift rumor of dark deeds fly across the land. What once was beautiful is become a shadow-realm, and the people plead for a hero. Drawn by loyalty stronger than dread, Lanrik returns. He seeks to learn the fate of the Raithlin who opposed the queen, and their leader, his father in all but name. More, he must discover how best to help the city. All deadly questions, for the Witch-queen brooks no opposition. Worse, she knows that he has come. But in the midst of danger, he is not alone. Erlissa walks by his side. She commands magic of her own, and together they risk their lives for the city they love. But their quest is more important than they know. A secret waits at its end - one they could never guess - one to make even the Witch-queen tremble.

The long-foretold heir to the emperor has come. But the shamans will risk any magic, and unleash any chaos, to kill her... Shar, born in poverty and raised in obscurity, has triumphed in the Quest of Swords. She has claimed the blades of Dawn and Dusk, and revealed herself as the hope of the people. Yet against her the shamans set all their might. Only one thing can save her. She must hide again until she can rally an army. But she is hunted by all the forces of the Dark, and they will pursue her into the grave. And beyond. Yet she has a small band of friends, and a heart of courage that shines brighter than the sun. The true blood of the Great Emperor courses in her veins. For her people, she will dare anything. Yet one she trusts will betray her...

Dark sorcery overruns the land, but a knight rises to challenge it...Ferla, once a simple hunter, swears an oath to rid the land of evil. And her oath is not prideful, for she has mastered the Way of the Sword and the arts of magic. Even so, her quest may end before it begins.A servant of the evil she seeks to destroy hunts her. He is dogged in his pursuit, and no deed or dark magic is beyond him. To her dismay, he has found an ancient relic of forbidden magic, and this gives him powers that even grim legend only whispers.But she has set her course to the city of Faladir. There abides the heart of evil. Her hopes start high, but they tumble when she discovers her enemies want her there. Her pursuer seeks not to kill her, but to bring her in fetters to his master. There, by foul rites, they plan to force her to serve the very evil she seeks to destroy...

War marches across the land, and the fate of men and gods hangs in the balance...Brand, long exiled from the land he should rule, at last returns home. But nothing is as it seems, and the usurper who murdered his parents and sent assassins to kill him as a child is not his greatest threat.A magician of deadly skill serves the usurper. He plots against Brand, for his coming puts not only the usurper at risk, but also the magician's own dark plans.Brand is intent on righting past wrongs. He gathers an army, but warlords beset him, beasts of magic hunt him and ancient gods, steeped in evil, wake from slumber and pull the threads of destiny to destroy him.He risks all for the land he loves and throws himself into a conflict of magic, a time of chaos and a crossroads of fate. For the gods desire more than to destroy him. They seek to rise and rule as once they did. And one kingdom alone will not sate their lust for dominion...This box set contains all three books of the Dark God Rises trilogy.

Ancient evil vies against prophecy, and out of chaos a hero emerges...The realm of Faladir has known centuries of peace, until now. Of old, the Kingshield Knights were founded. They were warriors and men of learning. The six of them wandered the land and dispensed wisdom, knowledge and justice. But they bore a sacred charge greater still.Their solemn trust was to guard against a primal evil. But they have fallen to its lure. Dark things stir. Beasts of nightmare stalk the land and haunt the skies. Blood-drenched sorcery casts its shadow over the realm.Ancient prophecy foretold that when the Kingshield Knights failed the Seventh Knight would rise to challenge them. But the knights know this, and they seek to kill him before he comes into his destiny.But fate will not be denied. And the Seventh Knight will stand tall to defy the powers of darkness...

The shamans rule by fear, and cast their might against any rebellion. But Shar, the hope for a free land, defies them with courage and cunning... Against all odds, Shar yet lives. A price in gold is on her head. She has battled a god, and survived. Her army is besieged in a fortress, but holds at bay the seething horde sent to destroy them. Until now. For the shamans, fearing the rebellion will spread if it continues, risk a forbidden magic to destroy Shar and her army. A magic that might unravel and unleash catastrophic forces no one can control. But Shar, driven by need, has a plan of her own. One that will make the shamans tremble. To succeed though, she must not risk just her life but her very soul...

They killed him. They stole his power. They split his empire into chiefdoms. But he foretold a day when his descendant would rise against their sorcery... Shar was no ordinary girl. Her clan was the Fen Wolves, a poor tribe that dwelt in the marshes. Yet she meant to bring them glory. She was a young warrior, but few men could stand against her. If they were strong, she was fast. If they were skilled, she was more adept. If they sought to intimidate her, she defied them. But now her chance of a new life had come. The shamans announced the Quest of Swords where fortune seekers searched for the fabled blades of the long-dead emperor. None had ever found them. She vowed to change that. Yet the shamans kept a secret. The swords were not meant to be found, and the quest was a trap. Dark sorcery guarded the blades, for any who could wield them were of the emperor's blood. And they must be killed...

Evil grips the realm of Faladir, but the forces of Light strike boldly at the very heart of Darkness...A shadow lies over the kingdom, and it reaches out to lands beyond. Searching. For there are those who yet defy it.Faran and Ferla, two simple hunters marked by fate, seek refuge from the sorcerer-knights who pursue them. They find it in the hidden halls of a master swordsman. Over time, he teaches them how to survive, but well must they learn his lessons.For a day will come when they choose to be hunted no more. Instead, they will pit themselves against a knight who has never known defeat, and who brings soldiers and creatures of sorcery against them...