Zusatztext A well-told fantasy tale. Booklist Rousing and exciting. Action packed from the opening chapter to the ultimate climax. Science Fiction Chronicle Don't miss Books One and Two of The Last Rune: Beyond the Pale Named the Best First Fantasy Novel by the Rocky Mountain News The Keep of Fire Offers a diverse cast of characters and a well-realized world in which the expected does not happen. Anthony is unsparing of the details of castle life! enriching the book with a solid sense of place and time. Robin Hobb A stunningly rich novel filled with magic! intrigue! great character! horror and humor. Michael Stackpole Available wherever Bantam Spectra Books are sold Look for Mark Anthony's next fantasy novel in spring 2002: Blood of Mystery Informationen zum Autor Mark Anthony Klappentext From a brilliant fantasy master comes a tale of astounding magic, unrelenting evil, and redemptive courage. Travis Wilder and Grace Beckett have returned to modern Earth to get medical help for Beltan, a knight from the otherworld of Eldh. But as Beltan lies unconscious in the ICU of a Denver hospital, a shadowy organization plots to kidnap him, and sinister forces of dark magic cross the boundary from Eldh in a murderous search for Travis and Grace. Meanwhile, in Eldh, a young baroness, her witch companion, and their mortal and immortal friends journey to a dying city, there to confront a nameless evil that has begun to annihilate the very gods. Somehow Travis and Grace must save Beltan and themselves, then make their way back to Eldh. For only there can they hope to defeat a demonic enemy that can shatter time, devour space, and turn existence into nothingness. 1. It was in the final, burnished days of summer when cool mornings gave way to languid afternoons under hazy skies, when the wheat bowed in the fields, shafts heavy with fruit, and all the land was still as if drinking in one last, long draught of gold that the Mournish came to Ar-tolor. Through the window of her chamber, Aryn watched the line of wagons creep along the road that led to the castle. At this distance the wagons were smaller than toys, but the young woman's blue eyes were sharp, and she could make out many of the fantastical shapes into which they had been wrought. There were swans with high, curving prows and snowy wings folded against their sides, and snails painted pink with small round windows set into their spiraled shells. A lion crouched low to the road, as if ready to pounce on a hart crowned by tree-branch antlers, while an emerald frog bounced behind. More wagons rolled into view: tortoises, fish cresting carved blue waves, lizards, tawny hares, and a dozen other creatures that Aryn had never seen before, except perhaps coiled along the edges of pages in old books. One by one the wagons vanished beneath the green curve of the hill, and the road was empty again. But even at that moment, Aryn knew the wagons were coming to a halt in the field outside the village, opening painted doors to release the spicy scent of incense, the cool clink of silver, and the undulating rhythms of music. The young woman turned from the window, her sapphire eyes bright. Let's go see the Mournish! Lirith, who sat in a chair on the other side of the small sitting room, did not look up from her embroidery. And then let's get tossed in the dungeon and make the acquaintance of a few dozen rats. For you know as I do, sister, that Queen Ivalaine has made it plain she wishes no one in her court to associate with the wandering folk. Their entertainments are for villagers and farmers. Annoyed, but not surprised, Aryn indulged herself in a particularly noxious frown. And what a fine baroness you'll make after your face free...

8220;A well-told fantasy tale.”

— Booklist

“Rousing and exciting. Action packed from the opening chapter to the ultimate climax.”
— Science Fiction Chronicle

Don’t miss Books One and Two of The Last Rune:

**Beyond the Pale

Named the Best First Fantasy Novel by the Rocky Mountain News

**The Keep of Fire

“Offers a diverse cast of characters and a well-realized world in which the expected does not happen. Anthony is unsparing of the details of castle life, enriching the book with a solid sense of place and time.”
— Robin Hobb

“A stunningly rich novel filled with magic, intrigue, great character, horror and humor.”
— Michael Stackpole

Available wherever Bantam Spectra Books are sold

Look for Mark Anthony’s next fantasy novel in spring 2002:

**Blood of Mystery

Auteur

Mark Anthony

Texte du rabat

From a brilliant fantasy master comes a tale of astounding magic, unrelenting evil, and redemptive courage.

Travis Wilder and Grace Beckett have returned to modern Earth to get medical help for Beltan, a knight from the otherworld of Eldh. But as Beltan lies unconscious in the ICU of a Denver hospital, a shadowy organization plots to kidnap him, and sinister forces of dark magic cross the boundary from Eldh in a murderous search for Travis and Grace.

Meanwhile, in Eldh, a young baroness, her witch companion, and their mortal and immortal friends journey to a dying city, there to confront a nameless evil that has begun to annihilate the very gods.

Somehow Travis and Grace must save Beltan and themselves, then make their way back to Eldh. For only there can they hope to defeat a demonic enemy that can shatter time, devour space, and turn existence into nothingness.

Échantillon de lecture
**1.

It was in the final, burnished days of summer — when cool mornings gave way to languid afternoons under hazy skies, when the wheat bowed in the fields, shafts heavy with fruit, and all the land was still as if drinking in one last, long draught of gold — that the Mournish came to Ar-tolor.

Through the window of her chamber, Aryn watched the line of wagons creep along the road that led to the castle. At this distance the wagons were smaller than toys, but the young woman’s blue eyes were sharp, and she could make out many of the fantastical shapes into which they had been wrought.

There were swans with high, curving prows and snowy wings folded against their sides, and snails painted pink with small round windows set into their spiraled shells. A lion crouched low to the road, as if ready to pounce on a hart crowned by tree-branch antlers, while an emerald frog bounced behind. More wagons rolled into view: tortoises, fish cresting carved blue waves, lizards, tawny hares, and a dozen other creatures that Aryn had never seen before, except perhaps coiled along the edges of pages in old books.

One by one the wagons vanished beneath the green curve of the hill, and the road was empty again. But even at that moment, Aryn knew the wagons were coming to a halt in the field outside the village, opening painted doors to release the spicy scent of incense, the cool clink of silver, and the undulating rhythms of music.

The young woman turned from the window, her sapphire eyes bright. “Let’s go see the Mournish!”

Lirith, who sat in a chair on the other side of the small sitting room, did not look up from her embroidery. “And then let’s get tossed in the dungeon and make the acquaintance of a few dozen rats. For you know as I do, sister, that Queen Ivalaine has made it plain she wishes no one in her court to associate with the wandering folk. Their entertainments are for villagers and farmers.”

Annoyed, but not surprised, Aryn indulged herself in a particularly noxious frown.

“And what a fine baroness you’ll make after your face freezes that way, sister,” Lirith mused, her dark eyes still focused on the embroidery hoop in her lap. “Even bold dukes and proud knights will quail before you.”

…