Zusatztext Praise for David Anthony Durham and The Acacia Trilogy: David Anthony Durham has serious chops. I can't wait to read whatever he writes next." George R. R. Martin A fascinating world. USA Today A big! fat! rich piece of history-flavored fantasy. . . . Imagined with remarkable thoroughness. Time Gripping. . . . From the first pages of Acacia ! Durham demonstrates that he is a master of the fantasy epic. The Washington Post Book World Thrilling. . . . Durham's new worldlike our old oneis crawling with wickedly fascinating characters. Entertainment Weekly Transcendent. . . . As fantasy epics go! the 'Acacia' trilogy is a direct and worthy descendant of Tolkien. Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star A truly epic fantasy . . . Superbly written. Fantasy Magazine Something genuinely new. . . . Strong echoes of Homer and Virgil! Tolkien! Norse mythology's Twilight of the Gods and America's compromised history as a republic built on slavery fuse into an enthralling! literate and increasingly suspenseful narrative. Kirkus Reviews (starred) Never lets up. . . . A very tasty fantasy stew. San Jose Mercury News Extraordinary. . . . One of the best books! fantasy or otherwise . . . in recent memory. Free-Lance Star Excellent. . . . A multi-layered! page-turning series that pushes the envelope of epic fantasy. Contra Costa Times Informationen zum Autor David Anthony Durham Klappentext "David Anthony Durham has serious chops. I can't wait to read whatever he writes next."-George R. R. MartinWelcome to Acacia . . . Born into generations of prosperity, the four royal children of the Akaran dynasty know little of the world outside their opulent island paradise. But when an assassin strikes at the heart of their power, their lives are changed forever. Forced to flee to distant corners and separated against their will, the children must navigate a web of hidden allegiances, ancient magic, foreign invaders, and illicit trade that will challenge their very notion of who they are. As they come to understand their true purpose in life, the fate of the world lies in their hands. Chapter One The assassin left the stronghold of Mein Tahalian by the great front gate, riding through a crack in the armored pine beams just wide enough to let him slip out. He departed at sunrise, dressed much as any soldier of the Mein. He wore a cloak of elk fur that wrapped his body completely. It even covered his legs and gave warmth to the largehoofed mount beneath him. Over his torso he wore a breastplate of double thickness: two sheaves of iron pounded to the contours of his body, with a layer of otter fur pressed beneath them. He moved south through a snowy land frozen into gelid brilliance. The winter was so bitterly cold that for the first few days the man's breath crystallized as it escaped his lips. The vapor formed a strange protuberance around his mouth, making the passage into it a cavelike channel. Knots of ice dangled from his beard, brushing against each other like glass chimes. He met few people, even when he passed through settlements of low, domed shelters. He saw the prints of white foxes and hares in the snow but rarely the creatures themselves. Once a snow cat paused to watch his progress from atop a boulder, its gaze one of indecision, considering whether he ought to flee the rider or pursue him. In the end he did neither, and the man put the beast to his back. On one occasion he crested a rise and looked out upon a plain teeming with reindeer. It was sight almost unseen since distant times. At first he thought he might have wandered upon a gathering from the spirit world. Then he smelled the musty stink of the animals. This broke the ...

Praise for David Anthony Durham and The Acacia Trilogy:

“David Anthony Durham has serious chops. I can’t wait to read whatever he writes next."
—George R. R. Martin
 
“A fascinating world.”
—USA Today
 
“A big, fat, rich piece of history-flavored fantasy. . . . Imagined with remarkable thoroughness.”
—Time
 
“Gripping. . . . From the first pages of Acacia, Durham demonstrates that he is a master of the fantasy epic.”
—The Washington Post Book World
 
“Thrilling. . . . Durham’s new world—like our old one—is crawling with wickedly fascinating characters.”
—Entertainment Weekly
 
“Transcendent. . . . As fantasy epics go, the ‘Acacia’ trilogy is a direct and worthy descendant of Tolkien.” —Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
 
“A truly epic fantasy . . . Superbly written.”
—Fantasy Magazine
 
“Something genuinely new. . . . Strong echoes of Homer and Virgil, Tolkien, Norse mythology’s Twilight of the Gods and America’s compromised history as a republic built on slavery fuse into an enthralling, literate and increasingly suspenseful narrative.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
 
“Never lets up. . . . A very tasty fantasy stew.”
—San Jose Mercury News
 
“Extraordinary. . . . One of the best books, fantasy or otherwise . . . in recent memory.”
—Free-Lance Star
 
“Excellent. . . . A multi-layered, page-turning series that pushes the envelope of epic fantasy.”
—Contra Costa Times

Autorentext

David Anthony Durham

Klappentext

"David Anthony Durham has serious chops. I can't wait to read whatever he writes next." -George R. R. Martin Welcome to Acacia . . . Born into generations of prosperity, the four royal children of the Akaran dynasty know little of the world outside their opulent island paradise. But when an assassin strikes at the heart of their power, their lives are changed forever. Forced to flee to distant corners and separated against their will, the children must navigate a web of hidden allegiances, ancient magic, foreign invaders, and illicit trade that will challenge their very notion of who they are. As they come to understand their true purpose in life, the fate of the world lies in their hands.

Zusammenfassung

“David Anthony Durham has serious chops. I can’t wait to read whatever he writes next."
—George R. R. Martin

Welcome to Acacia . . .
 
Born into generations of prosperity, the four royal children of the Akaran dynasty know little of the world outside their opulent island paradise. But when an assassin strikes at the heart of their power, their lives are changed forever.
 
Forced to flee to distant corners and separated against their will, the children must navigate a web of hidden allegiances, ancient magic, foreign invaders, and illicit trade that will challenge their very notion of who they are. As they come to understand their true purpose in life, the fate of the world lies in their hands.

Leseprobe
Chapter One

The assassin left the stronghold of Mein Tahalian by the great front gate, riding through a crack in the armored pine beams just wide enough to let him slip out. He departed at sunrise, dressed much as any soldier of the Mein. He wore a cloak of elk fur that wrapped his body completely. It even covered his legs and gave warmth to the large–hoofed mount beneath him. Over his torso he wore a breastplate of double thickness: two sheaves of iron pounded to the contours of his body, with a layer of otter fur pressed beneath them. He moved south through a snowy land frozen into gelid brilliance.

The winter was so bitterly cold that for the first few days the man’s breath crystallized as it escaped his lips. The vapor formed a strange protuberance around his mouth, making the passage into it a cavelike channel. Knots of ice dangled from his beard, brushing against each other like glass chimes. He met few people, even when…