Greg Keyes
First British Edition Tor (2003) |
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The Briar King
Book One Of The Kingdoms Of Thorn And Bone
It has been two thousand years since the Born Queen defeated the last of the Skasloi lords. In doing so she freed the race of humans - once taken from their-distant homes and forced to wear the bitter yoke of slavery. Thus begins an epic tale of war and virtue, sorcery and betrayal …
In the kingdom of Crotheny, two young girls are playing in the tangled gardens of the sacred city of the dead when they stumble upon, the unknown crypt of a legendary, ancestral queen.
In the wilds of the forest, while investigating the hideous slaughter of an innocent family the king’s holter, Aspar White, weaves his way through a maze of ancient willows
and comes face-to-face with a monstrous beast straight out of folktale and nightmare. Meanwhile, travelling that same road, a scholarly young priest begins his education in the nature of evil found festering just beneath the surface of a seemingly peaceful land.
The royal family itself is in direst peril, facing a betrayal that only sorcery could accomplish. And now - for three beautiful sisters, for a young man recently elevated to knighthood, for a reckless woman in love with a roguish adventurer - a dark malevolence is emerging to shatter all that once seemed certain, familiar and good Thereafter, their destinies will become closely linked, as the Briar King - harbinger of death - finally awakens from his slumber.
Richly imbued with thrilling action and passion, here is an amazing adventure epic that raises fantasy fiction to a new level.
'A wonderful tale… It crackles with suspense and excitement from start to finish' Terry Brooks
‘The characters in The Briar King absolutely brim with life. It’s been a while since I’ve been this taken with a traditional fantasy novel, but Keyes hooked me from the first page.’ Charles de Lint
‘A gorgeous work of deep intrigues and exciting characters, and action to leave the reader, breathless. The Briar King belongs in every fantasy collection’ Melanie Rawn
‘Lord, how the man can use the English language. [Greg Keyes] can really spin out images – and he’s given some really clever twists to old tried and true fantasy premises… Definitely left me turning the pages late’ Katherine Kurtz
‘An excellent choice for the person who enjoys a character driven tale, where human nature and intrigue are as compelling as the fantasy elements Robin Hobb
‘Combines-action and romance in a world of magic and conflict.. . superb entertainment’ John Maddox Roberts
`The Briar King, Greg Keyes’ latest elegant entry into the world of high fantasy, lays the groundwork for what promises to be a mesmerising four-book series… this is excellent world building, applied with a dark, powerful touch’ Amazon.Com
‘Keyes mixes cultures, religions, institutions and languages with rare skill… readers will find the rewards enormously worthwhile’ Publishers Weekly
`Action packed fantasy rife with humour and sensuality introduces an epic new series sure to hook readers by the wagonful’ Kirkus Reviews
About The Author
Greg Keyes was born in Meridian, Mississippi, to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology-from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of the Age of Unreason tetrology, as well as The Waterborn, The Blackgod, and the Star Wars New Jedi Order novels - Edge of Victory I: Conquest and Edge of Victory II: Rebirth. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Bibliography
N.B. dates and publishers in dark red indicate British First Editions. Dates and publishers in black indicate recent reprints.
The Briar King
(Tor,
2003)
Jul 03
The Briar King
by Greg Keyes
