The Gates of Dawn
Volume II of the Chronicles of Blood and Stone
1 of 1 copy available
For three centuries, Eutracia was a kingdom at peace, ruled by a benevolent monarchy and guided by a council of wizards. But a horror from the past, long believed vanquished, returned with devastating fury. And when the battle against the bloodthirsty Sorceresses of the Coven was finally won, victory was not without its price. Now, the royal palace lies in ruins; the king and queen, the royal guard, and the Directorate of Wizards are dead; the land is lawless; and Prince Tristan— forced by the Coven to murder his father, the King—is a wanted man.
In a cavernous underground labyrinth, once headquarters of the wizards’ council, Tristan has taken refuge with his sister, Shailiha, her infant daughter, the wizard Wigg—the lone surviving member of the Directorate—and the crippled wizard Faegan, returned from self-imposed exile in the forest of Shadowood. Together they face the daunting task of restoring order to Eutracia and winning back the allegiance of her subjects. But suddenly, even these challenges pale beside a truly terrifying turn of events. The sacred jewel that is the source of all magic has inexplicably begun to lose its power. Without its age-old enchantment to sustain their spells, the immortal wizards will perish . . . and magic will vanish from Eutracia forever.
At the same time, a mysterious and ruthless mercenary has declared a bounty upon the head of Prince Tristan. And an army of wizards on a mission to rid Eutracia of monsters created by the Coven has fallen prey to an insidious breed of creatures—beings that can only have sprung from forbidden use of malevolent magic. With time and their powers dwindling, Wigg and Faegan desperately seek to discover who, or what, has succeeded the dead Sorceresses in laying siege to Eutracia. But when the shocking truth is revealed, and an evil that transcends life itself is made known, it is Tristan, more than any other, who will be stunned to his very soul. And it is Tristan who will be thrust into the ultimate battle—for his life, his land, and the course of his destiny.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 1, 2003 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780345464439
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780345464439
- File size: 1044 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 2, 2003
When the Paragon, the mystical crystal that harnesses the power of the endowed blood, starts to lose its power, Tristan of the House of Galland fears this means the end of his country Eutracia and the end of all magic, in Newcomb's dizzyingly uninspired second Blood and Stone fantasy (after his controversial debut, 2002's The Fifth Sorceress). The forces of good—headed by Tristan, his twin sister Shailiha, and the two wizards Faegan and Wigg—must find out who is draining the stone, why it's being drained and, most importantly, how to stop the magic from disappearing from Eutracia completely. As the prophesied "Chosen One," whose azure blood is the purest ever seen among the endowed, Tristan has a lot going for him, though the author's repeated emphasis on the purity of blood smacks uncomfortably of eugenics. As in volume one, the "data dump" method of offering plot points slows the action, what little there is of it. The wizards spend most of their time talking, while Tristan can scarcely contemplate lifting a sword against his evil nemesis. Those readers who were hoping Newcomb might avoid some of the first book's problems will only find more ammunition here. (June 10)Forecast:While some fantasy fans felt Newcomb's first book lived up to the hype likening him to David Eddings or George R.R. Martin, others felt betrayed by the sloppy prose and an illogical premise. This second effort will only fuel those flames. -
March 1, 2003
"This will be huge," proclaims the publicist of Newcomb's follow-up to the best-selling The Fifth Sorceress. Here, the Coven has taken over, and Prince Tristan is on the run.Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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June 15, 2003
Though Prince Tristan has won the war against the outlawed Sorceresses of the Coven, his land is in ruins, and he is a fugitive, falsely blamed for the death of his father. As Tristan tries to rebuild his country and restore his good name, a powerful evil born of his flesh works behind the scenes to seize power over the land. In this sequel to The Fifth Sorceress, Newcomb continues the epic tale of a young man thrust into a position of rulership, even as he attempts to come to terms with his magical endowments and his conscience. Lavish descriptions and complex characterizations make this a strong addition to most fantasy collections.Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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