The undead rise to claim Earth as super-powered immortals battle for supremacy in Frey’s fantasy series opener.

Once again, after 500 years, the undead are rising, breaking through the Earth’s surface to wipe out mankind, led by power-hungry, once-human “liches.” Humanity has fallen before, and the world was reset by one of the “True,” gigantic super-powered beings. Eons ago, 26 True who sought to end the world were entombed by one family among their number. That family’s descendant, Nalon, now must battle each of these True as they finally break free of their imprisonment. Though it is said that no True can kill more than one of their own without going mad, Nalon, a True who can also assume a human form, must defeat them all if Earth is to be saved. Meanwhile, humanity is protected by an agency called the Network, led by the “near-immortal” Seneschal, who watched Earth fall the last time. If he cannot defeat the undead, there will be no world left to save—and if Nalon can’t best his rivals, the Network’s efforts could be in vain. All the while, the fight for Earth is being watched from other planets by those with agendas of their own. This novel, the beginning of what promises to be an extraordinary saga, captures the imagination with plenty of thrills. The universe created in these pages is vast, and there are so many moving parts that the first half of the narrative is devoted mostly to table-setting. But each introduced character (“the image of that victory, that failure to give in to defeat, motivated him”) and subplot is worth the wait. The worldbuilding is fascinating and incredibly detailed, well balanced with likable characters and thrilling action scenes. If the pacing is occasionally slow, it’s only because the author is setting up what has the potential to be an epic series. The ending is satisfying (if a little abrupt), providing the perfect jumping-off point for the next book.

Action-packed and rich with lore, this first installment will have fantasy fans eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.