The sword unbound

Everything has changed in Necrad after the defeat of the Wilder siege. Aelfric's nephew, Derwyn, is on the throne as the Uncrowned King and he and his sister Olva, the Widow Queen, both have a place on the Council. This does not sit well with the Lords of Summerswell, since Lord Vond was Governor of Necrad before fleeing during the Wilder siege. So Summerswell sends a delegation to Necrad, led by Vond, demanding that Olva and Derwyn surrender Necrad to the Lords or be charged with treason and hand over Aelfric for the alleged murder of Prince Maedos. However, Olva has made alliances with the New Provinces, the merchants of Necrad, and the Witch Elves. In the meantime, rebellion has broken out in Summerswell and Aelfric has joined it, though he realizes he is not as strong and swift as he once was, leading him to ponder what all his fighting has really been for. In the high-fantasy tradition of Tolkien and Eddings, Hanrahan's latest (after The Sword Defiant, 2023) is a richly detailed narrative and with dramatic battle sequences. With magic, religious and political intrigues, sympathetic characters, and haunting issues about aging, this second volume in the Lands of the Firstborn series will draw in fantasy readers.