Stormclouds

A peregrine for a prince. A tiercel for an earl. But a gyrfalcon for a king. Now here was a gyrfalcon of Ranulf's own, and she was a a noble bird, a falcon of the black morph, a presence so dark she seemed almost like a shadow. At his approach, she mantled and made several harsh cries. Ranulf jerked back. What kind of bird had the standing to accuse a king? In matters of the heart, King Ranulf is his own worst enemy, and has been since his reckless youth. In fact, the handsome monarch is a churl and a rascal. More is at stake than his private feelings, his bad behavior, or even the fate of his realm. The world underneath the Nine Spheres is in jeopardy as powerful forces battle for domination, and Ranulf's decisions could tilt the balance toward justice, or toward raw power seeking its own advantage. But the king labors under a curse of his own making. The next generation must choose, especially John, Ranulf's unsettling bastard son. On the one hand, loyalty, brotherhood, love. On the other, treachery and deceit. Magic weighs in the balance. How the gods torment us all, underneath the Spheres. Ranulf the king: "I charge this man with abuse of power. Let him be cursed." Emilde, his wife: "You feel things intensely," Ranulf said to her. "If the right man were to rouse what's inside you to answer him with equal intensity, I wager you'd feel as strongly as I do." Ranulf sighed and looked away from her. "I tell you truly, Emilde. I wish I were that man. And it's my own fault that I'm not." Cicely, the king's concubine: "You must marry me. You must make it right," she told him. "But lady." Ranulf's voice sank to a whisper. "I am already married." "Then I am lost," she said. The earl: He thought if he never acted on the dishonorable impulse that lay hidden in his heart, if he kept quietly denying it, it would stop gnawing at him with its sharp teeth and leave him in peace. It never had. John: Trust this, John, said the mighty bird in words that only he could hear. Trust that when you need it, a power will pour out of you, a true justice, and you will prevail.

ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. John and his brothers are The Rising, guerilla fighters against the usurper of the throne. Out-manned, out-spent, hunted down, they're about to lose. But they are united. NEVER STEP ASIDE. John only seems to be a shy and unassuming minstrel. But his music comes from a place deep inside, a magic he will need. TELL ME WHAT IS KEENER THAN THE AXE. The indolent and repulsive usurper-prince is only a tool in the hands of one of the most powerful mages ever to stalk realms and ages, and one of the most wicked, a sorcerer who, vampire-like, sucks the life force from his victims. YOUR HEART BELONGS TO ME. How can John and his raw unexplored powers prevail against such an opponent? How can he help his brothers against overwhelming odds? NOW GILLES THE DESTROYER AND DEVOURER STAKES HIS CLAIM.