Crown of Stars – serie

Lost and alone in an unknown country, Alain struggles to survive as he is unwittingly drawn into an ancient conflict between humankind and their old enemy, the Cursed Ones. Separated from her husband and child, Liath must undergo her greatest test in a land of exile. Only here can she hope to discover the truth of her parentage and learn the extent of her remarkable powers.Mourning the loss of his wife, the bastard prince Sanglant seeks his father,King Henry, to warn him about the conspiracy of powerful sorcerers who wish to destroy the Aoi, the Lost Ones, once and for all - no matter how much destruction their magic will unleash. But King Henry's gaze is fixed on the throne of Aosta and the imperial crown left vacant for two generations. As a Quman army, sweeping in from the eastern steppes, ravages the Wendish countryside, Henry marches south, ignoring the pleas of his beleaguered subjects. The great cataclysm, foretold in the stars, is approaching. . . .Look out for more information on this book and others on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

The cataclysm long foretold has shaken the world. King Henry's obsession with uniting the warring kingdoms of Wendar and Varre has left his people destitute and vulnerable to attack. As earthly and supernatural forces gather to overthrow all Henry has fought for, Alain and Liath come to realise their twin destinies. Between them they hold the key to secrets which could yet save Henry's realm, but even they may be powerless should the Cursed Ones return.Look out for more information on this and other titles at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

The world of Liath and Alain is breaking apart as King Henry's kingdom is savaged by earthly and supernatural forces, which they alone have the power to understand. The Eika warriors thirst for the King's land and power, their enmity sealed by generations of blood. Bitter in-fighting within King Henry's court and the ceaseless attrition of raiders also weaken his reign. Those who remain true must stay strong as the shadow of the Cursed Ones falls, and the spell holding the exiled from the planet fails. Liath must force her wild sorcery to maturity and Sanglant, her husband and King Henry's heir, must struggle to hold the realm together. The twin destinies of Liath and Alain may yet avert the destruction written in the stars.

King Henry's kingdom has been ravaged by internecine warfare, in a conflict that has been both long and bloody. Furthermore, the spell holding the exiled Ashioi from the world has failed, and the land, ravaged by the fury of their return, is only now showing signs of recovery. Sanglant is struggling to legitimise his leadership as the returned Ashioi are planning war, and Stronghand has begun a march of conquest into the heart of Sanglant's realm. Adelheid and Antonia have made an unholy alliance, and Sabella and Duke Conrad are moving to seize Sanglant's crown. Cultures, religions, and races are clashing in what will be the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world.

The Kingdom of Wendar is in turmoil. King Henry still holds the crown, but his reign has long been contested by his sister Sabella, and there are many eager to flock to her banner. Internal conflict weakens Wendar's defences, drawing raiders, human and inhuman, across its borders. Terrifying portents abound and dark spirits walk the land in broad daylight.Suddenly two innocents are thrust into the midst of the conflict. Alain, a young man granted a vision by the Lady of Battles, and Liath, a young woman with the power to change the course of history. Both must discover the truth about themselves before they can accept their fates. For in a war where sorcery, not swords, may determine the final outcome, the price of failure may be more than their own lives.

Kate Elliott's KING'S DRAGON launched a magnificent new epic fantasy. Now, with PRINCE OF DOGS, one of the most exciting fantasy series of recent years continues . . .Sanglant - the prince of dogs, King Henry's bastard son - is being held captive in the city of Gent by Bloodheart, The Eika warlord. Liath, now one of the King's Eagles - and still grieving over the loss of Sanglant - is desperately trying to unlock the secrets of her own past. Unless she masters her powers she may prove a grave danger to everyone, herself included. Alain, now proclaimed a Count's heir, is increasingly troubled by visions of the enemy he befriended and the Lady of Battles whom he's sworn to serve. And Fifth Brother, least favoured son of Bloodheart, has returned to the lands of his own people to unite the scattered tribes and build an army to do his father's bidding.While King Henry continues this progress through his troubled realm, Sanglant, Liath, Alain and Fifth Brother fight their own individual battles. Only time will tell who will prove triumphant as all of them are caught up in the dangers and turmoil of a world at war . . .