Books with author Rob Ryan

Bright swords. Dark sorcery. A city stalked by enemies. Brand, though descended from chieftains, wanders the land of Alithoras with no possessions save the clothes he wears and his oft-needed sword. But the blade belonged to his forefathers, and he yearns to prove himself worthy of a long line of heroes. Drawn to Red Cardoroth, he discovers that the city earned its name for good reason. Enemies without plot its downfall. Traitors within conspire toward its destruction. All about him swirls a cesspool of mistrust, betrayal and shadow-hidden sorcery. Yet he meets the wizard Aranloth and finds that loyalty, trust and courage vie against the dark forces of the world. He swears to serve the king. But the king is under constant threat, and swords and spells alone will not save him. Nothing will. But that does not stop Brand. He gives no quarter to the schemes of men, is not cowed by sorcery, and will not yield . . . even to fate. A Spell of Swords is a group of short stories that form a prequel to the Durlindrath epic fantasy series.

The king to be My name is Gilcarist. One day, they’ll make me king of Cardoroth. I’m young, and I don’t know what I want in life, but it isn’t that. I’d rather learn magic, and free the talent within me. I could use it to make the world a better place. But no one listens. So, this I swear. Before death sweeps me into oblivion, the world shall hear my voice. The warrior who was My name is Brand. I sit as regent on Gilcarist’s throne. I teach him how to rule, but more than that – I show him how to protect himself, for he has enemies who have hated him since before he was born. The blood in his veins makes it so. The sorceress who would destroy them both My name is Ginsar. Brand killed my brother. I will have retribution, and the boy Gilcarist will be the instrument of my revenge. No sorcery is too dark, no price too high. I shall destroy them both – one for what he did and one for who he is. And if I topple the world into ruin and flame with them, who shall say I am wrong?

Blood magic stirs. Evil lurks in every shadow. And prophecy rushes to fulfillment... Gil, Prince of Cardoroth, must solve a deadly problem. The sorceress Ginsar has invoked forbidden magic and summoned the Four Horsemen, creatures of the pit, to help her conquer the realm. He must break the spell...but he does not know how. Time is running out. The forces of evil gather for a final assault. And should Ginsar defeat him, she will unleash the Horsemen upon a rampage of world-spanning conquest. Prophecy calls Gil Sword of the Blood. He is supposed to protect his people, but he can use neither titles nor prophecy as weapons. However, he learns Ginsar unwittingly drew something else into the world with the Horsemen, and if he discovers its nature he may yet unlock the secret to saving all he loves. But knowledge, like magic, comes at a cost...

A marauding horde. A famed city. A lone man who stands between them. Can one man defy an army? Only one of the legendary Raithlin would try. But trying is not succeeding - or even surviving. Lanrik is confident in the time-honored skills of the Raithlin scouts. He tries to slow the army long enough for a warning to reach his home city. But treachery, political intrigue and ties of loyalty test him more than the enemy. He forms a bold plan against overwhelming odds to protect all that he loves. But his choices lead him ever deeper into a life-changing struggle. Dark forces of sorcery and witchcraft are on the move. So too are the powers that contend with them. The conflict draws him into a quest for the safety of the whole land and toward a girl who comes to mean more to him than anything. He enters a world of magic: sometimes beautiful, often perilous and always unpredictable.

A queen of black sorcery. A fear-quelled city. A quest into darkness. The city of Esgallien groans beneath the Witch-queen's iron-gripped rule. Swift rumor of dark deeds fly across the land. What once was beautiful is become a shadow-realm, and the people plead for a hero. Drawn by loyalty stronger than dread, Lanrik returns. He seeks to learn the fate of the Raithlin who opposed the queen, and their leader, his father in all but name. More, he must discover how best to help the city. All deadly questions, for the Witch-queen brooks no opposition. Worse, she knows that he has come. But in the midst of danger, he is not alone. Erlissa walks by his side. She commands magic of her own, and together they risk their lives for the city they love. But their quest is more important than they know. A secret waits at its end - one they could never guess - one to make even the Witch-queen tremble.

Men hunt him. Magic stalks him. A hero's heart drives him. Lanrik's enemies will stop at nothing to get his legendary sword. He'll do anything to keep them from it - until they poison Erlissa and give him an unthinkable choice. In their hands, the sword will wreak mayhem upon the land. But without the cure they offer in exchange, the girl he loves will die. Cornered, he fights back with a daring plan. It offers hope to save Erlissa, and a chance to prevent chaos, but at a price few would pay. He begins a quest to challenge fate itself, for it will lead him to the tombs of the Letharn - the very place where Erlissa foretold his death.

Against the raging swords of the enemy . . . they sent one man. Brand is the youngest bodyguard ever to protect the king, but he may never get the chance to discover his future. A horde of mankind's ancient enemies lays siege to Cardoroth city. During the day, the clang of blades, the mad shrieks of the foe and the hiss of swift-flighted arrows cuts the air. At night, the sorcerous chanting begins. Brand ignores it all. His duty is to shield one man from death. But fate forces him to leave the king that he swore to guard, the man who is like a father to him, in deadly peril. For the king sends him on a last-chance quest to save the realm. Enemies track him across strange lands. Beasts of foul magic stalk him. A beautiful but deadly girl aids him - for reasons of her own. She reveals that more is at play than the fate of kings and realms. Ancient forces, drenched in long-forgotten blood, seek to plunge the world into the dark. The odds pile against him. But he is Brand, and not for nothing did he earn the king's trust.

A realm at risk. A quest for hope. A prophecy of ruin. Grim war casts a shadow across the land. Hidden armies gather in nighted valleys. Esgallien City, ruled by a false Witch-queen, lies at the mercy of its many foes. Lanrik faces an impossible quest. Only one man has the power to overthrow the queen and ready Esgallien to fight: Aranloth, the greatest wizard of the age. But for him to do so, Lanrik must free him from the ring of sorcerers who hold him captive. He cannot do it by himself. He dreads taking Erlissa, though she has magic to help. But he has no choice. The land's needs outweigh his fears, and the impossible never stopped him before. He sets out to save all that he loves, but the words of a long-dead king haunt him. Nothing lasts forever. Not men, nor chiefs . . . nor even cities. This is the final book of the Raithlindrath series.

Fate is not finished with Brand … and his future is beyond imagining. The city of Red Cardoroth lives up to its name. Blood stains its mighty battlement. Countless bodies, the remains of the horde’s spent attacks, lie without. Yet the dark host still lays siege, a seething mass of hate-filled enemies, and nothing but total slaughter will sate their lust for revenge. The king can no longer just defend – or the relentless swords of the enemy will be victorious. He must seek a way to pluck victory from inevitable defeat. And Brand, newly aware of his great destiny, must choose whether to embrace it, or to run. This is the final book of the Durlindrath Series.