Description

The defeat and death of the evil Wulfgar should inspire a time of rejoicing throughout Eutracia. But Prince Tristan grieves. Not only is his beloved wife dead, but across the Sea of Whispers, in the island fortress known as the Citadel, Wulfgar’s bride, the sorceress Serena, plots to continue her husband’s nefarious plans, aided by the Scroll of the Vagaries and the advice of the otherworldly Heretics. Although the ranks of Tristan’s faithful soldiers were decimated in recent battle, the prince nevertheless plans a bold surprise attack.

But on the eve of the mission, disaster strikes. From behind the towering azure wall of magical energy in the forbidding face of the massive Tolenka Mountains comes Xanthus, a powerful warrior dispatched by the Heretics to bring Tristan into their mysterious realm. A master of a mystical martial art against which even the great swordsman Tristan is helpless, Xanthus launches a reign of terror against Eutracia’s innocent subjects, compelling Tristan to journey behind the azure wall. There, in a magical land as beautiful as it is violent, Tristan will learn the shocking truth about the destiny he and Shailiha, his sister, will share.

In Tristan’s absence, Shailiha must lead the fleet of Black Ships against the Citadel, accompanied by the wizards Faegan and Wigg and the beautiful pirate queen Tyranny. But unknown to them, Serena has prepared a deadly trap with hellish creatures summoned by the Heretics. And as Shailiha’s troops sail blindly into danger, Serena is preparing a spell unlike anything the world has ever seen–a spell powerful enough to defeat death itself.

About the Author

Robert Newcomb is the author of Savage Messiah, the first novel in The Destinies of Blood and Stone, as well as The Chronicles of Blood and Stone: The Fifth Sorceress, The Gates of Dawn, and The Scrolls of the Ancients. He traveled widely in his youth as a member of the American Institute for Foreign Study, studying at the University of Southampton, England, and aboard a university-sponsored ship in the Mediterranean Sea. He lives in Florida with his wife, a neuropsychologist and novelist. Visit the author’s website at www.robertnewcomb.com.

Praise for A March into Darkness: Volume II of The Destinies of Blood and Stone…

PRAISE FOR ROBERT NEWCOMB

The Destinies of Blood and Stone

Savage Messiah

“Meticulously plotted action . . . another megafantasy along the lines of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.”
–Booklist

“Magic, intrigue, and plenty of action.”
–Library Journal

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