Rise of the Blood Royal
Robert Newcomb [Newcomb, Robert]The chilling conclusion to Newcomb's majestic but sometimes ponderous trilogy (after March into Darkness) suggests that the bloody, centuries-old War of Attrition between the countries Rustannica and Shashida may never end. Evil wizard Gracchus Junius is determined to persuade the impoverished Rustannica Emperor Vespasian, whose magical gifts far exceed those of all other Rustannica wizards combined, to destroy Shashida with banned magic and steal all its gold. Meanwhile, Prince Tristan and Princess Shailiha of the distant country Eutracia, talented magicians destined to end the War of Attrition, are struggling to learn to use the magical substance known as subtle matter and find the subterranean Azure Sea that will take them to Shashida. Those who haven't read earlier installments and the preceding trilogy may feel a bit lost amid the intricate magical systems and large cast, but Newcomb juggles the various plots and people with aplomb. (Dec.)
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PRAISE FOR ROBERT NEWCOMB
The Destinies of Blood and Stone
A March Into Darkness
“[An] epic fantasy saga . . . vividly portrays the ongoing struggle between good and evil. Reminiscent in scope and detail of the works of Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan.”
–Library Journal
Savage Messiah
“Meticulously plotted action . . . another megafantasy along the lines of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.”
–Booklist
The Chronicles of Blood and Stone
The Fifth Sorceress
“[Robert Newcomb] springs into fame and literary maturity in a single bound. . . . Tristan is the novel’s main strength, an intriguing and all-too-human hero who becomes a dashing warrior challenging an empire.”
–Orlando Sentinel
The Gates of Dawn
“Impressive . . . These personifications of light and dark are beautifully and vividly drawn. The intense emotions on both sides are expressed with astuteness and feeling.”
–SFX magazine
The Scrolls of the Ancients
“Plenty of adventure and magic . . . continues Robert Newcomb’s tradition of mixing adventure with an interesting and well-realized magical world.”
–SF Site
From the Hardcover edition.