Author: Till Noever

ISBN: 1894063082

The following review was contributed by:  Paul Lappen & CLICK TO VIEW Paul Lappen's Reviews

This fantasy story is about the land of Keaen, whose
central idea or concept is the survival of an ancient
Covenant between the ruler and the people. One
manifestation of that Covenant is that the ruler of
Keaen can not marry or even have a lover. Heirs to the
throne are created by the ruler impregnating any woman
in the kingdom that he wishes. If a male child is
born, that child is taken from the mother and spends
his life in the castle. Armist is very uninterested in
taking over as ruler, because he believes himself to
be the product of such a union. His sister, Tahlia, is
about to be married off to one of the local barons, a
prospect that she equally dreads.

In Keaen, opposition to the Covenant is growing.
Would-be rebels start to organize, semi-openly. One
huge push is all that is needed to bring down the
whole system. Armist and Tahlia aren't thinking about
that when they flee the castle, throwing everything
into chaos. They just want to get as far away as
possible. Along the way, Armist and Tahlia find that
they have friends within the castle.

Caitlan is the royal Weaponsmaster and Pandrak is the
emissary of the magices of Skele (the head wizard).
They have their reasons for wanting the system
changed, so, in their own ways, they keep the pursuit
away from Armist and Tahlia. Naturally, their father,
King Hain, is not taking this lying down; their
freedom doesn't last for long. Tahlia is forced into
marriage with Baron Tegel, a fat, disgusting man with
an unnatural liking for young boys. Armist is captured
by forces loyal to Tergan, Keaen's neighbor and
long-time enemy.

This one is very good. It's more of an adventure tale
with narrow escapes, knife fights and carnivorous
beings who come out at night. It may take some work on
the part of the reader, but this is recommended.