The Four Forges: (The Elven Ways #1) - Hardcover

Rhodes, Jenna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0756402743 ISBN 13: 9780756402747

Publisher: DAW Hardcover, 2006

Synopsis

The Four Forges opens the gateway to Kerith, a world which has known its share of battles and tragedy. It is a land bereft of magic after the devastating Magi wars which killed off the Magi, leaving behind their Galdarkan minions, the fighters they had created to do their bidding. Warlike Galdarkans, peaceful Dwellers, Kernan tradesmen and merchants, and brutish Bolgers had all coexisted after the Magi wars until - carried on the wings of some otherworldly spell storm - the Vaelinars had mysteriously appeared from nowhere.
The Vaelinars had no memory of how they had come there, or who they really were. But little by little they pieced together a past for themselves and divided into opposing groups, carrying forward an enmity they scarcely understood. With them they brought a different sort of elemental magic, for they were able to hold sway over the gods of Kerith.
Now, generations after their arrival, Kerith stands at a turning point. The Accords that put an end to the Vaelinar feuds and conquests may soon be broken. Already there are many signs of evil to come, from deadly attacks upon the mostly rural Dwellers, to rumors of illegal arms being sold, to the pollution that is slowly spreading through the sacred Andredia River, to the attempted assassination of the Vaelinar Warrior Queen Lariel.
Those who wish to overturn the accepted order of things gather their forces in secret: from the weapon master Quendius who is willing to take advantage of these uncertain times to certain Vaelinar lords who are determined to shift the balance of power in their own favor. And those who would stand against them are a very odd mix indeed. Though they are led by Lariel Anderieon and her brother Jeredon, those who would preserve the peace include among their ranks: the Farbranches, the Dweller family who saved and adopted a Vaelinar child carried to them on the river; the child herself, named Rivergrace by the Farbranches, who has hardly a memory of her past, and is sought by far too many of the enemy for comfort; Sevryn, a Vaelinar half-breed, has pledged to serve Lariel and her cause, but what he can accomplish hinges on recovering twenty years of his life for which he cannot account; Rufus, an extraordinary Bolger, may prove an unexpected ally.
And even as the various Vaelinar Strongholds, Houses, and Lineages forge concealed alliances, those specially gifted wield their Talents - some turning to the mysteries of the dark side of nature, others following only the light - to create the Elven Ways - passages of power - always searching for the one Way that will take them back to the home they had lost centuries ago.
As hostilities escalate, and treachery abounds, two young people, one broken of soul and the other broken of mind, find their fates intertwined as mixed bloodlines both curse and bless them. Can a river-borne slave and a street-savvy half-breed find their own personal truth in time to avert a devastating civil war?

About this title

About the Author

Jenna Rhodes (a pseudonym used by R. A. V. Salsitz), was born in Phoenix, Arizona and is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels. She also writes under the names Emily Drake, Anne Knight, Elizabeth Forrest, Charles Ingrid, Rhondi Vilott Salsitz, R.A.V. Salsitz, Rhondi Vilott, and Rhondi Greening. Rhodes has been writing since she was in 3rd grade. She has published over 50 books and short stories. She can be found at rhondiann.com.

Reviews

Starred Review. Sevryn Dardanon is not your typical elf. In fact, the world of Kerith is not your typical elf world. In this spectacular series debut, the pseudonymous Rhodes (a prolific YA author) plays fresh variations on the standard epic fantasy tropes. Her elves, the Vaelinars, are outsiders, propelled by a magical cataclysm into an unfamiliar and somewhat hostile new environment. For Sevryn, a half-breed Vaelinar, life is especially difficult as he's neither of one world or the other. Meanwhile, human Dwellers take in the orphaned Rivergrace, an escaped slave of Vaelinar heritage, and raise her as their adopted daughter. Both Rivergrace and Sevryn struggle to survive as quietly as possible, until, by chance, their paths cross and they must help each other battle an unknown evil that's infecting Kerith. Sevryn and Rivergrace possess not only undeveloped magical powers but mysteries in their respective pasts that promise to keep the excitement level high in the next installment. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The first book of the Elven Ways series introduces the very detailed and well-drawn world of Kerith, in which four different peoples coexisted since the end of a devastating war, until a magestorm from another world brought a fifth people, the Vaelinars. Their powers, once they got over the shock of transition, proved great enough to rule the four established peoples. Now, after generations of rule, feuds are breaking out among the Vaelinar lords, and the discontented among the conquered peoples seek to overthrow them all. As hostilities escalate, fate throws up Grace, rescued from a river and with no memory of her past, and Sevryn, who has also had 20 years of his past wiped out. The two youngsters just may be formidable enough to deal with the land's foes, if their memories can be healed. Rhodes' use of detail will please those who like richly drawn settings and intricate plots but may confuse others whom the appended glossary and character list will help. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: DAW Hardcover
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0756402743
• ISBN 13: 9780756402747
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368