ANG-UE

In this epic fantasy, an unlikely duo embarks on a mission to save a realm from a rapidly rising army of the undead.

In a unique world known as Theia, Damien has reluctantly accepted his role as “ascender,” protector of the realm. When the arrogant and cruel Prince Garrod joins forces with the infamous scholar Landeer, whose “skin was pale due to the frequent lies he told,” they attempt to raise an army of corpses by reanimating them with ancient dark magic. In order to fund his journey to find allies to protect the Four Kingdoms of Jin against this undead army, Damien begrudgingly takes the money—and gains the company—of a masterful young archer named Truffle who has a mysterious past. Damien and Truffle join a ragtag team—including Truffle’s “sworn brother,” Yuni—to fight and argue their way across the Four Kingdoms. Along the way, they make a shocking discovery about Yuni’s magical talent and meet people they had previously thought were simply myths. Hanging over the action is the legend of the Limrock Sword, said to be forged in the inferno of the dragon Kee. Tales abound that “the sword would be reborn with its wielder,” who would prove to be the prophesied god. Vang covers an impressive amount of ground in over 500 pages and still manages to end on a surprising cliffhanger. And while there are the occasional clichéd passages that could have been trimmed (“To say he was a nervous wreck was an understatement”), the action and enthusiasm never wane. The novel is certainly violent, but it’s never overly graphic—even in the midst of battle: “The Taytans used their horses to wreak havoc on the mindless corpses, and soon, the enemy was in disarray, retreating to the north, down the other side of the hill. They were run down and slaughtered.” Genuine twists and turns, including unexpected character deaths that prove no one is safe, will keep readers gleefully on their toes.

A fantasy that merrily embraces all the magic, action, and drama that the genre offers.