OHLEGAN'S TREASURE

A young man scours unknown lands hunting for legendary runes in Gardner’s debut fantasy novel and series launch.

Nall lives in peace and solitude on remote Clearwater Island. His parents died when he was a boy, but the 22-year-old is close with several islanders, particularly Tengar, the childhood friend he’s fallen for. Nall craves adventure out in the bigger world and finds his chance with a vacant spot on a merchant ship. The action picks up when the crew docks on the Southern Continent and Nall meets treasure hunters Bright and Steiner. They’re looking for famed explorer Ohlegan’s mysterious, powerful runes, which he has hidden in “dangerous and isolated spots.” Bright and Steiner know where one rune is, but the remaining three are secreted on other continents. They take to the seas, traverse a barren desert, and try not to incite locals at pubs. In exotic locations (such as an ancient temple), the three men, soon joined by a fourth adventurer named Ruby, tackle potentially deadly puzzles and navigate mazelike interiors to unearth the runes. Gardner eases readers into this story with the warmhearted, instantly likable Nall and his quiet life. As his journey begins, the mysteries enjoyably pile on, including the runes’ ties to an uninhabitable “Lost Continent” and a stranger apparently shadowing the treasure hunters. The author’s straightforward prose presents an unknown world with sights that feel familiar, from a rusty-colored river and forests to Clearwater’s annual festival. At the same time, Nall and company run into several packs of ghastly creatures—ones that move with “contorted and spasming” legs and horned, spike-tailed beasts that spit a “vile brown liquid.” A few answers gradually come to light, some coming from Ohlegan’s journal excerpts (though he certainly doesn’t give the precise location of the runes). Many threads are left hanging, and it’s clear that the hunters’ quest is far from over.

A grand otherworldly adventure with an appealing protagonist at the helm.