David Farland’s acclaimed Runelords series introduces a world where the social structure is based upon the magical exchange of “endowments” such as stamina, grace, and wit. The Runelords are those who receive these endowments from their vassals, becoming superhuman in exchange for the responsibility of caring for those they have deprived of strength, or beauty, or sight.
Young Prince Gaborn of Mystarria is traveling in disguise on a journey to ask for the hand of the lovely Princess Iome of Sylvarresta. Armed with his gifts of strength and perception, the prince and his bodyguard stop at a local tavern, where they spot a pair of assassins who have their sights set on Princess Iome’s father. As they race to warn the king, they realize that more than the royal family is at risk—the very fate of the Earth is in jeopardy.
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"This book series has a fantastic magic system where men and women give particular attributes to another person in a lifelong link between the two. This leads to some unexpected and wonderfully imagined scenarios, all tied together by a wonderful story. A must read!"
— Alan (5 out of 5 stars)
“Farland once again proves himself a wizard at storytelling…This latest is certain to summon past readers of the series back to bookstores.”
— Publisher's Weekly“Ray Porter keeps the battles fresh with a tone of wonder as the events unfold. He uses pace effectively to vary the intensity of the battles and to show the vulnerability and humanity of Gaborn and his allies. Porter narrates as a historian, with subtle clues to his biases and prejudices, but a general dedication to telling the story objectively.”
— AudioFile“The author’s inventive approach to magic and his skill at depicting complex, believable characters make this tale a good choice.”
— Library Journal“Farland gets a prospective series off to a dynamic start with a compelling, action-packed story set in an intricate created world in which magical powers are unusual and convincing.”
— Booklist" I enjoyed this booka lot, it has an interesting system of majic and the pace of the book is good. I am lloking forwards to the rest of the series. "
— John, 2/5/2014" One of the freshest fantasy books I'd read in a long time. An unusual magic system, driving story, and unexpected ending made for a good read. "
— William, 1/30/2014" I remember really enjoying this book, the first in its series. The magic system was pretty fascinating, and the characters were interesting, if not always memorable. The first trilogy stayed interesting to me, but I didn't really enjoy the later ones much. "
— Neil, 1/14/2014" This is a decent start into a great series, a lot of people complain that it is slow but as a start to a nine book series i think it builds a good foundation. The magic system is unique and awesome. "
— Kenneth, 1/10/2014" This series was new and inventive. The magic system was very well put together, as was the world. I loved the creatures in this series, and the characters as well. "
— Boyd, 1/8/2014" Good, but not as good as I'd heard. "
— Jordan, 12/31/2013" Interesting premise, enough so that I read the second book. Slightly weak writing. "
— Josh, 12/16/2013" Rather standard fantasy fare, except for the intriguing twist that the power of the Runelords comes from the taking of endowments of other people to enhance wit, stamina, brawn or senses. "
— Terry, 12/15/2013" Caught at another time, I might have finished this. As it is, I renewed it at the library twice and lost momentum. Perfectly serviceable 80s epic fantasy. "
— Valerie, 12/4/2013" One of my favorite fantasy series of all-time. "
— Maggie, 10/31/2013David Farland is the pseudonym of Dave Wolverton, an American author of fantasy fiction who lives in Utah with his wife and five children. He was a budding author during his college years but came to prominence when he won the Writers of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Gold Award for On My Way to Paradise in 1987. He has achieved much renown in the science fiction field, but fans may know him best as the author of Star Wars novels; The Courtship of Princess Leia was met with acclaim from critics and readers alike and became a New York Times bestselling novel.
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations as well as several Earphones Awards and enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. A fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.