The Gates Of Dawn (Chronicles of Blood & Stone 2) [Paperback]

The Gates of Dawn, sequel to Robert Newcomb's debut, The Fifth Sorceress, is somewhat repetitive and clunky, but significantly superior to its predecessor. Most epic fantasy fans will thrill to the sequel's action-packed plot and Newcomb's vivid imagination. However, feminists may want to avoid The Gates of Dawn, since its large cast has only three semi-important female characters (all passive). The squeamish should note that Newcomb can be very tough on his characters, and that the magic of his fantasy world depends on blood--sometimes a lot of blood.

Prince Tristan, the Chosen One of ancient prophecy, has defeated the vicious Sisters of the Coven, but at enormous cost. Thousands have been slaughtered, his twin sister is gravely ill, they're both in hiding, and the Chosen One's vast magical power is of little use--he is still untrained. If these aren't troubles enough, Prince Tristan has an active, deadly enemy he doesn't even know exists: a trained wizard who is, astonishingly, even more powerful than the Chosen One. The hidden wizard has an intimate connection to Tristan that the prince could never have imagined. And he is restoring life to the evil souls of the still-potent Guild of Heretics, an act that requires raising the notorious Gates of Dawn and consecrating them with magically endowed blood--the blood of the Chosen One, Prince Tristan. --Cynthia Ward, Amazon.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Newcomb has a talent for exploring the darker, more brutal aspects of human nature' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The thrilling, fast-paced fantasy novel that continues the magical adventure that began with THE FIFTH SORCERESS.

‘The wind howled, and the lightening cascaded across the sky in unimaginable streaks, a portent of what was to come . . . the firstborn son of the Chosen One lives, and now he is ours.’ For three hundred years, Eutracia was a kingdom at peace. Then a horror from the past, long thought vanquished, returned to wreak dreadful revenge. The war against the Sorceresses of the Coven was won, but victory came at a terrible cost: the king and queen dead, the wizards’ council decimated, and the land – ravaged by fear, scarred by battle – lawless. And Prince Tristan, forced by the Coven to turn his hand against his own and kill his father, is now a wanted man with a price on his head. In underground labyrinths that once bustled with life, the fugitive prince, together with his twin sister and her infant daughter, the wizard Wigg, sole surviving council member, and the crippled wizard Faegan, returned from exile in the forests of Shadowood, take refuge. To them falls the daunting task of rebuilding Eutracia, but it soon becomes apparent that evil has not yet had its fill of this ravaged land. An army of apprentice wizards, dispatched to hunt down the last remaining servants of the Coven, has fallen victim to foul beings that can only have been created out of hate. And, inexplicably, the sacred source of all magic begins to fail. Without its sustaining force the wizards will perish, and with them magic itself. With time and their powers fast dwindling, Wigg and Faegan must discover who – or what – has succeeded the Sorceresses, and now seeks to destroy Eutracia. As the awful truth is revealed, it is Tristan who must face this new enemy, an evil that transcends life itself, and fight the ultimate battle – for his life, his land and his destiny… Continuing the monumental adventure that began with The Fifth Sorceress, here is confirmation that, in Robert Newcomb, epic fantasy has found an exhilarating new voice.

For three hundred years, Eutracia was a kingdom at peace. Then a horror from the past, long thought vanquished, returned to wreak dreadful revenge. While the war against the Sorceresses of the Coven was won, victory came at a terrible price: the king and queen dead, the wizards’ council decimated, the land scarred and lawless. And Prince Tristan, forced by the Coven to turn his hand against his own and kill his father, is now a wanted man. In underground labyrinths that once bustled with life, the fugitive prince, together with his twin sister and her infant daughter, the wizards Wigg and Faegan, take refuge. They are burdened with the daunting task of rebuilding Eutracia, however it seems evil has not yet had its fill of this ravaged land. Apprentice wizards, dispatched to hunt down the last remaining servants of the Coven, have fallen victim to foul beings that can only have been created out of hate. And, inexplicably, the sacred source of all magic begins to fail. Without its sustaining force, the wizards will perish and with them, magic itself. Their powers fast dwindling, Wigg and Faegan must discover who - or what - now seeks to destroy Eutracia. As the awful truth is revealed, it is Tristan who must face this new enemy, an evil that transcends life itself, and fight the ultimate battle - for his life, his land and his destiny… Continuing the monumental adventure that began with The Fifth Sorceress, here is confirmation that, in Robert Newcomb, epic fantasy has found an exhilarating new voice.

Robert Newcomb travelled widely in his youth as a member of the American Institute for Foreign Study. He now lives in Florida. The Fifth Sorceress marked his début and is the first book in 'The Chronicles of Blood and Stone' trilogy. The second volume, The Gates of Dawn, is also published in Bantam paperback and the concluding novel, The Scrolls of the Ancients, in Bantam Press trade paperback.