A DRAGONS ASCENSION

Third chorus on Greenwood’s mainstream series (The Kingless Land; The Vacant Throne, both 2001) about the roguish Band of Four: Hawkril Anharu, the thickheaded sword-swinger; Craer “Longfingers” Delnbone, the barb-tongued thief and procurer; Sarasper “Wolf-spider” Codelmer, the shapeshifting cleric and healer; and the gem-studded Lady of Jewels, Embra Silvertree, an R-rated sorceress, whose job it is—like Parsifal’s in the Grail Legend—to lift the curse on the sleeping king, Kelgrael Snowsar, and awaken the land of Aglirta by use of the four magical Dwaerindim Stones. A snakepit of feuding and power-hungry barons and wizards contends for the stones as well. The king is awake but the baddies threaten to put him fast asleep once more, and to save him the Band goes forth to recover the Fourth Stone. This latest installment tells in part of the post-mortal, zombie-controlling Ingryl Ambelter, Spellmaster of Flowfoam, top wizard of the late Dark Three, his dead hand still effecting evil deeds. Eroeha, the gigantic Sacred Great Fanged Serpent of the Shaping, is bound into slumber by Kelgrael who can overmaster the Serpent only when spellbound by sleep himself. Will the lost Crown of Aglirta save its folk from the Great Doom rushing to meet them—or will the risen Serpent kill the King? More importantly, will Embra bed Hawkril and Lady Talasorn conquer Lord Craer? With a new member to replace the burned Sarasper, the search for the World Stones goes on.

Greenwood’s nimble fingers hurtle through castles and stone hallways: a rousing return.