by Ed Greenwood

Volume 1 of The Band of Four
1. The Kingless Land
2. The Vacant Throne
3. A Dragon’s Ascension
4. The Dragon’s Doom
5. The Silent House: A Chronicle of Aglirta

Aglirta was once a peaceful and prosperous land under the rule of a great and wise king. Then one day, that king was ensorcelled and the country fell to lawlessness and tyranny under many feuding barons.

The most powerful of these barons is Baron Silvertree, whose daughter is the fabled Lady of Jewels - also known to be a mighty sorceress.

The story begins when Hawkril and Craer, a rogue warrior and a procurer, have fallen hard on their luck and set their sights to steal one of the jewel-studded gowns of the Lady of Jewels. Great is their surprise when they realize that the intimidating Lady of Jewels is in fact a prisoner of her father! Together, they escape - battling enchanted guardsmen and fleeing the winged wraiths of her father’s sorcerers.

Embra, Lady of Jewels, tells the desperate duo of a magical stone that must be found in order to wake the Sleeping King and restore Aglirta to its former peace. Along the way they find a magician-in-hiding, and then there were four. The Band of Four.

Of a certainty, the band of four is not the only group searching for these elusive stones. Nearly every other powerful baron has sent their sorcerers and warriors to find the stone, as well as two cults, thought to be extinct.

The band is beset by all manner of conflict - enemy magicians, wild creatures, bandits.. even the mind of one them is captured by one of Embra’s father’s mages. Many questions remain unanswered as the journey nears its close, and the plot thickens as loyal magicians turn out to be devious and the Priest of the Serpent begins his recruiting en masse.

Personal Rating: 7
I was hooked from page 3. Descriptive, engaging wording and elaborate detail make The Kingless Land a land that you will want to explore. The characters are entertaining and the monsters fearsome. The story follows a somewhat complicated course, however, and I imagine that alot would fall together had I read Book Two immediately after.

Content Rating: M
Violence is the common factor in this book… as well was some graphic/violent portions. There is also a scene where it seems like there was an orgy in the spa…??? Except it didn’t describe the actual scene - it just starts after the fact when they are all ‘basking in the afterglow’. It’s an interesting point to ponder.