Weis - Hickman: The Sovereign Stone 1 Well of Darkness (sc)

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Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman: Well of Darkness
(The Sovereign Stone Trilogy, book 1)

Out of the rich material of the popular roleplaying game The Sovereign Stone, New York Times bestselling fantasists Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have fashioned something miraculous: a masterful epic of magic and adventure, filled with unforgettable, Tolkienesque characters and plot twists as harrowing and unpredictable as a roll of the dice.

When still a child, Gareth was chosen to serve as whipping boy for the willful, yet devilishly charismatic young Prince Dagnarus, second in line for succession to the throne. It was Gareth's innocent body that bore the brutal blows that could not lawfully be inflicted on the royal person that earned them. And as Dagnarus grew to manhood, ruthlessly determined to rule at any cost, loyal Gareth remained at his side, suffering as always for the prince's sake and in his stead-even now, when misguided devotion is leading the much-bruised servant down a path of outlawed sorcery... and into the terrible darkness.

Yet cruel, stubborn, and prideful as Prince Dagnarus has become, he still possesses a heart like any man - one that he has hopelessly lost to the married elfin beauty, Lady Valura Mabreton. She is a prize he is determined to win, despite her longlived, honor-obsessed race's legendary vendettas, some of which have endured for thousands of years, growing ever-stronger beneath an icy surface of impenetrable artifice.

But let the elves plot their plots! Let the dwarves and orken rise up against him! Let the Dominion Lords, led by his hated half-brother, Prince Helmos, dare to oppose him! Dagnarus will have his crown... and his queen! For one of the elves' own, Silwyth - a wily traitor playing a dangerous double game - is the prince's creature. And dutiful lackey Gareths blood-chilling excursions into the Void are about to bear dark, rich fruit. For the Dagger of the Vrykyl - the malevolent counterpart to the Sovereign Stone itself and the most potent talisman in the realm will soon be in Dagnarus's hand. And then no power will be able to deter his Destiny.

The first book in the exhilarating new Sovereign Stone trilogy, Well of Darkness is Weis and Hickman's most dazzling work to date - a classic-in-the-making that will quicken the pulse of every true fantasy fan; a chilling, boldly imaginative, utterly addictive tale of the bloody rebirth of a much feared and denied ancient evil... and the unspeakable consequences of an unholy passion that is stronger than death.