13th Paladin

Ahren can hardly believe his luck. His normal life consists of being beaten up by his drunkard father or bullied by the village lads. But at the annual suitability tests for apprenticeships, the young boy finds himself selected by Falk, the guardian of the forest, to be his apprentice and his world is turned upside down. From his new master he learns the skills of archery and how to fight the Dark Ones. And then, on the day of the Spring Ceremony there is another unexpected turn of events. He touches the Stone of the Gods and it illuminates for the first time ever. It isn't long before a cantankerous wizard turns up and urges Falk and Ahren into action. There is no time to waste, for something evil is awakening. The unlikely trio begin their dangerous journey to Evergreen, the elfish kingdom to get the elves' help. But time is running out. He, Who Forces has his eyes trained on Ahren and nothing will stop him from destroying the young man.

The bestselling epic fantasy series from Germany, which began with Ahren, continues. Two Einhans have been found but the third is still at large. Ahren and his companions have to traverse a kingdom plagued by unrest, sail along the treacherous east coast of Jorath and reach the dwarf enclave of Silver Cliff. Falk, Ahren's master hopes to find in its depths the third Einhan, a dwarf friend from his mercenary days, and to win him over for the Ritual of Naming that awaits his apprentice. To gain the dwarf's assistance, they must help him in his solitary watch, that tradition of the little people which allows a dwarf to attain his own individual name. But time is of the essence. Ahren's Appointment as the 13th Paladin-assisted by the three Einhans-must occur by the winter solstice. If not, He, Who Forces will awaken before his time and plunge the unprepared peoples of Jorath into the depths of darkness.

Hardly have Ahren and his fellow adventurers returned to Deepstone following his Naming as Thirteenth Paladin when troubling news forces them into action again. They learn through the Ancients that one of their kind, the Paladin Bergen Olgitram, along with his band of mercenaries, the Blue Cohorts, are being besieged within the Brazen City by the headstrong Sun Emperor. Not only do Ahren and his companions need to get to the Sunplains in double-quick time and protect the Brazen City with its invaluable forges, but they also have to persuade the city triumvirate that a peaceful resolution to the conflict is paramount. And if that's not challenging enough, the Sun Emperor is determined to have the renegade captain and his mercenaries put to death. But Jorath needs every one of the thirteen Paladins in its war against HIM, WHO FORCES. Even if one them is frustratingly stubborn. The saga of the Thirteenth Paladin continues. Join him and his friends on their adventures in the Sunplains and enjoy meeting his old friends in Deepstone again.

The siege of the Brazen City has been lifted and the Paladin Bergen remains free. Following their victory, Ahren and his companions continue on their travels, this time to the Southern Jungles in search of information regarding the whereabouts of the female Paladin, Sunju. The journey is long and dangerous. Not only must they traverse the Nameless Desert and the untamed primeval forest, but hired assassins are hot on their heels along the Spear Path. And to top it all, the consequences of Jelninolan's extended absence from Evergreen could be fatal to her . . .

Ahren can hardly believe his luck. His apprenticeship finally comes to an end, and Khara's interest in him is growing by the minute. He and his companions leave the Southern Jungles and sail westwards, this time in search of two Paladins, who are apparently living a peaceful existence on one of the Isles of the Cutlass Sea. Yet their quest proves full of difficulties, for a war among the pirates has transformed the Cutlass Sea into a bubbling cauldron, hiding its own tragic drama. While Ahren and his friends do their utmost to win over the two Paladins in their attempts to defeat HIM, WHO FORCES, the High Fang, SVEN, is nearing the consummation of his fiendish plan.

Things are coming to a head for Ahren and his companions. It is true that they have won the Paladins Fisker and Aluna over to their cause in the campaign against the Adversary, but the Pall Pillar is going through an ominous change. Not realizing that the High Fang Sven has brought his master a gruesome sacrifice, the companions gather quickly in King's Island, where they join the first conclave to be held in centuries. Yet, on their arrival they are confronted with dreadful news: unknown Dark Ones have overrun the tiny country of Hjalgar, whose inhabitants are now in mortal danger. Ahren is now facing his most difficult task, for the Dark Days have returned to Jorath with a vengeance.

Time is running out for Ahren as he and Khara leave their companions under cover of darkness and make their way to the Eternal Empire. The Pall Cloud is spreading relentlessly, yet the full complement of 13 Paladins have still not gathered together. But the couple are finding it impossible to find a way through to the notoriously draconian and reclusive empress, and all their attempts to enlist her support in the war against the Adversary seem doomed to failure once Ahren falls into the clutches of Quin-Wa's Peace Sentinels. While his friends seek a way of evading the empress's charm net in their efforts to help, Ahren and Khara find themselves battling to stay alive.

The Thirteenth Paladin and his companions are finally reunited with each other and have found a worthy ally in the Eternal Empress-another Paladin who will take part in the war against the Adversary. But the effects of Ahren's journey through the empire have left their mark on him. And so, they all set off to Thousand Halls, the original home of the dwarfs, in the hope of finding the mysterious Father of the Mountain who will surely help Ahren in his recovery. If all goes to plan, the nations of Jorath will at last unite and build an alliance against the ever-growing Pall Cloud. Yet Ahren and his companions have underestimated the enemy, for the Dark god has long since prepared a trap, which is only waiting to snap shut on the unsuspecting travelers...

Success at last! Ahren and his companions have revived the alliance of the Jorathian peoples. But there is little time for celebration, for while the defensive ring around the Pall Cloud is being strengthened with Dwarfish assistance, Ahren and his friends are already on their way to answer the Wrath Elves' cry for help in the Forest of Ire, from within whose depths mysterious dangers are threatening to destroy the Elven forest and all life forms within it. Time is running out, and not only is the Pall Cloud spreading its noxious vapors over an ever-larger area, but the stricken Forest of Ire must be saved at all costs. If the forest falls, then the defensive ring will fall too, obliterating any hope of victory against Him, Who Forces.

Hardly have they left the Forest of Ire and its horrors behind them when the Thirteenth Paladin decides to head for the Green Sea with his friends to fulfil his old promise of bringing the necromancer to justice, who has been holding the fertile lands surrounding the horse people and their Paladin, Blazing Eyes, in his bony grip for far too long. But it is not alone the necromancer with his deadly traps who is testing the companions. HE, WHO FORCES has his own plans to bring death and destruction to the Paladins. And then, to top it all off, the gods play a trick that none of them would ever have expected . . .

Ahren and his companions journey on to Evergreen, finding new courage after the traumas of the Green Sea. Setting off, then, to traverse the continent in search of the missing Paladin Yollock, it isn't long before they find themselves sucked into a maelstrom of adventures involving a woman who has been robbed, a desperate Cape Verstaad grandee, not to mention a cutthroat city which proves itself a veritable nest of ne'er-do-wells. Controlled by the brilliant assassin Reik Silvermantle, this hub of lawlessness and immorality presents Ahren and his friends with one of their greatest challenges . . .

The Paladins are still short one of their number for them to finally be considered a complete fighting force, the thirteen Champions of the gods. Hence, Ahren and his friends, make their way onto the Ice Fields in the far south, following what scant clues there are in their efforts to track down the man considered to be the father of all Forest Guardians and who was last seen hunting down the fearsome dragon, Four Claws. An odyssey on sea and ice awaits them, and they know full well that He, Who Forces will be putting up ferocious resistance in his desire to see them fall at the last hurdle...

Ahren's enormous undertaking to unite the thirteen Paladins has, following years of dangerous journeying, come to a successful conclusion. Now there is only one task left for him to complete. He must lead the Champions of the gods, his other friends, and the free peoples of Jorath in an assault on the Obsidian Fortress. Yet the Adversary is intent on foiling his archenemies' plan before they reach his hordes lurking behind the compound walls. The Dark god's scheme is to spring the trap that was set centuries earlier in preparation for just such an event...

Ahren: Ahren's life consists of being beaten up by his drunkard father or bullied by the village lads. But at the annual suitability tests for apprenticeships, the young boy finds himself selected by Falk, the guardian of the forest, to be his apprentice and his world is turned upside down. From his new master he learns the skills of archery and how to fight the Dark Ones. And then, on the day of the Spring Ceremony there is another unexpected turn of events. He touches the Stone of the Gods, and it illuminates for the first time ever. It isn't long before a cantankerous wizard turns up and urges Falk and Ahren into action. The Naming: Two Einhans have been found but the third is still at large. Time is of the essence. Ahren's Appointment as the 13th Paladin - assisted by the three Einhans - must occur by the winter solstice. If not, He, Who Forces will awaken before his time and plunge the unprepared peoples of Jorath into the depths of darkness. The Brazen City: The saga of the 13th Paladin continues. Join him and his friends on their adventures in the Sunplains and enjoy meeting his old friends in Deepstone again. Note: This audiobook includes Books 1-3 in the 13th Paladin series.