Seven Circles 1: Circle at Center - Softcover

Niles, Douglas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0441007287 ISBN 13: 9780441007288

Publisher: Ace Trade, 2000

Synopsis

In the kingdom of the Seven Circles, the harmony of the realm and the peaceful lives of its inhabitants are undermined as disaffected members of all the various races that live there--eleves, centaurs, goblins, trolls, druits, and other fantastic beings--gather together into a force that could destroy the Seven Circles. Original.

About this title

About the Author

Douglas Niles is the author of the Watershed Trilogy and co-creator of TSR's "Dragonlance" series with Margaret Weis.

Reviews

Niles follows up his popular Watershed fantasy trilogy with this first book in a new trilogy. The standard fantasy-world denizensAdwarfs, goblins, trolls, etc.Adwell peaceably, each to its own Circle niche in the Seven Circles, and are benevolently ruled by the elves of Nayve, the city in the Circle at Center, seat of the great College and the Senate, home of the mystical Grove and of the druids and enchantresses who serve the one true Goddess. This peace is shattered, however, when the keeper of the Stone of Command is murdered and the Stone stolen. Then Zystyl, an evil Delver Dwarf, leads a rebellion against the good Seer Dwarves of the sunless Underworld city of Axial, in the First Circle. In Nayve, Belynda, elven sage-ambassador to the Fourth Circle, learns that a druidess named Mirandel is one of several enchantresses who have been teleporting human warriors from Earth, hoping that the barbaric humans can teach the enchantresses' people how to defend themselves against the evil invaders. Unfortunately one of those warriors is an insane knight from Earth's Crusades, Sir ChristopherAand he now holds the Stone of Command and is using it to build an army of Delvers, centaurs and others, leading his own Crusade against the Goddess-worshipers of the Circles. Niles has again conceived a fantasy setting of great richness and scope. Although his characters rely on standard fantasy stereotypes ("noble" elves, "gruff" dwarfs, etc.), and the day is ultimately saved by a deux ex machina, his fans are sure to enjoy this spritely tale. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

First of a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the Watershed trilogy (War of Three Waters, 1997, etc.). Elves and druids—the latter magicians from Earth—live in the immortal realm at Circle at Center, but their idyll comes under threat from two sources. Sir Christopher, a Crusader from Earth, has obtained the powerful Stone of Summoning, killing its guardian; because of the stone's distinctive red cross, Sir Christopher's convinced that God wants him to exterminate the witches and unbelievers of the higher realm—and the stone compels loyalty in those whom it influences. In the lower realms, meanwhile, evil blind dwarves called Delvers invade the caverns of their cousins, the good Seer dwarves. Led by Zystyl and his metal teeth (think Jaws), the Delvers swarm upwards, where they encounter Sir Christopher’s crusaders and form an alliance. Belynda, an elf Sage-ambassador once raped by Sir Christopher, urges the lackadaisical elves to action, while the druid Miradel summons Aztec warrior Natac from Earth, at great personal cost, to train and lead the defense. After 25 years of war, Belynda and company figure out that to defeat Sir Christopher they must take away his Stone of Summoning. Well, duh.To Niles, the stuff of fantasy isn't “something readers can believe in” but “anything the author can dream up.” Result: storytelling beats logic to a pulp -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

As chaos descends upon the perfect world of the Seven Circles, the druids who dwell at the center of the realm transport warriors from a place called Earth to fight as champions against the evil that threatens the land. An Aztec warrior, a Viking, and an Irish soldier join together in an unlikely alliance to battle a fanatic crusader and his armies bent on imposing their vision upon the world of Nayve. The author of the "Watershed" trilogy begins a new series that combines elements of standard fantasy with myths from many cultures. A good choice for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ace Trade
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0441007287
• ISBN 13: 9780441007288
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400