The beloved, highly respected, and automatically obeyed Palamaran Emperor John Cardillion III suddenly has died without naming a successor. He has four very powerful sons, An Arch Cleric, a Fighter, a Wizard and a Merchant Prince (aka thief), who are eager to slay each other and claim their father’s Ruby Throne. Earl Thomas Medford, the former Emperor’s best friend and Commander of the Imperial Guard, has to decide which royal brother to support for the throne and marry his deliciously gorgeous only daughter too. Earl Medford intends to either avert or win a bloody and vicious civil war.
Action and adventure are in store for all those who enter the Palamar world from the furtile imagination of its fantasy author, John Paul Ried, who still creates regular Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.
Industry Reviews
What a terrific series! If you like political intrigue, if you like a Game of Thrones-like setting, and if you ever played Dungeons & Dragons as a kid (OK, or as an adult), and particularly if you've a smattering of elemental US History (specifically the War for Independence and the Civil War) then you're gonna LOVE this series.
As I greatly enjoy all of the above, this book was almost written for me, it seems, but I especially enjoyed the way Mr. Ried keeps so many "balls in the air" at a time. This one has a LOT of moving pieces, folks, you might want to take notes :)
The characters are great fun and the plot has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.
All in all, a great read. I can hardly wait for the next book! -- C. Cusack
