by Greg Keyes (Author)
'Something was coming for her. It began as an insect, but it grew, its many eyes fastened greedily on her. Something had followed her back. But back from where? Where was that place of dark waters?' A season of darkness and horror has fallen upon the Kingdom of Crotheny. Now countless breeds of unspeakable monsters roam the countryside. After her husband's murder, Queen Muriele finds herself at the mercy of Robert Dare who plans a strategic marriage for his hostage to secure his own power in Crotheny. Muriele's fiancee is Berimund Reiksbaurg, heir to the throne of Hansa and descendant of the legendary Blood Knight, who once drank the blood of a worm to gain the beast's power. But will Dare's plans really work out even? Meanwhile, Princess Anne awakes from a deep, trancelike sleep after a bloodthirsty battle with the monsters the Briar King has unleashed. Her guardian Sir Neil MeqVren and their escort are nowhere to be seen and Anne embarks on a perilous journey desperate to track down her travel companions. 'The best reinvention of the big fantasy epic since George R. R. Martin' - "Time Out".
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 528
Edition: hardcover
Publisher: Tor
Published: 07 Jul 2006
ISBN 10: 140503355X
ISBN 13: 9781405033558
The Charnel Prince
There is adventure and intrigue, swordplay and dark sorcery aplenty.
-Realms of Fantasy
Keyes's world is rich, detailed and always believable; the twisty plot is delightful and frightening in turns.
-Locus
Strong world building and superior storytelling.
-Library Journal
The Briar King
A wonderful tale . . . It crackles with suspense and excitement from start to finish.
-Terry Brooks
A graceful, artful tale from a master storyteller . . . [The novel] starts off with a bang, spinning a snare of terse imagery and compelling characters that grips tightly and never lets up.
-Elizabeth Haydon, bestselling author of Prophecy: Child of Earth
Epic high fantasy . . . Keyes mixes cultures, religions, institutions, and languages with rare skill.
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From the Hardcover edition.