Description:

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of the third book in Keyes's Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series (_The Briar King_, etc.), princess Anne Dare's father, the king of Crotheny, is dead and her mother, Muriele, is the prisoner of her mad uncle, Robert Dare, who now rules the kingdom. Anne does her best to elude her uncle's clutches as she flees across a well-developed landscape reminiscent of Renaissance northern Italy (rugged terrain and priests who belong to an established church) and medieval Germany (thick forests and ogres). The scenes and viewpoints shift often enough to be somewhat confusing, but the occasional well-handled erotic episode or magic duel can startle with its originality. This volume closes with a climactic grand battle in which Anne's cohorts appear to be victorious. Readers curious about the fate of Robert Dare, who has vanished, must await the fourth and final volume in this sophisticated and intelligent high fantasy epic. (July)
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Review

Praise for Greg Keyes and his novels of The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone

The Charnel Prince

“There is adventure and intrigue, swordplay and dark sorcery aplenty.”
–Realms of Fantasy

“Keyes’s world is rich, detailed and always believable; the twisty plot is delightful and frightening in turns.”
–Locus

“Strong world building and superior storytelling.”
–Library Journal

The Briar King

“A wonderful tale . . . It crackles with suspense and excitement from start to finish.”
–Terry Brooks

“A graceful, artful tale from a master storyteller . . . [The novel] starts off with a bang, spinning a snare of terse imagery and compelling characters that grips tightly and never lets up.”
–Elizabeth Haydon, bestselling author of Prophecy: Child of Earth

“Epic high fantasy . . . Keyes mixes cultures, religions, institutions, and languages with rare skill.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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