The Blackgloom Bounty (Five Star Epic Fantasy) - Hardcover

Baxley, Jon F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1594144516 ISBN 13: 9781594144516

Publisher: Five Star, 2006

Synopsis

Books in this series:THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (500 pages)THE REGENTS OF RHUM (800 pages)THE SCIONS OF SCOTIA (800 pages)"A Cast of Characters in the Conan Vein" Kruzurk Makshare the magician is asked by the spirit of Merlin of Pendragon, his long dead mentor, to destroy another former apprentice, the villainous Seed of Cerberus. That requires entry into Blackgloom Keep which can only be entered via sorcery. Kruze realizes he needs help, since he cannot use sorcery. He chooses Daynin McKinnon, who has just discovered what may be the fabled Scythian Stone. Kruzurk uses the stone to gain entry into the fortress, which causes a whole series of unforeseen and horrific events to unfold for Daynin and his cadre of friends. The colorful cast of good guys includes the lovely Sabritha who becomes a love interest for Daynin. There is also the ghost of a giant resurrected Pictish king named Brude McAlpin, who both helps and hinders Daynin and Kruzurk in the rest of their adventures.
Assorted bad guys include Saxons, Caledonians and numerous other cutthroats bent on capturing Daynin for the bounty put on his head and the bounty he discovered at Blackgloom. Those bounties are the driving forces behind all of the chasing, combat and magical events that occur in the rest of the series. And there is a LOT of that in this massive half million word trilogy.
The author provides a wealth of historical detail which should set a new standard for fantasy readers who want more than mere monsters and magic to whet their imagination. Most romance readers, too, will find plenty of the 'spice' they seek, as will all those fantasy readers who are looking for a cast of characters in the Conan vein or are big fans of Viking tales. Blackgloom is the first book in Jon F. Baxley's three book series. Episode two, THE REGENTS OF RHUM is available in Kindle and paperback as is Episode 3, THE SCIONS OF SCOTIA.

About this title

From the Author:

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! 
In the dark days before the end of the first millennia, Scotland (or Scotia as some called it) was a leaderless hodgepodge of tribes, clans and warring factions all bent on the same thing--domination of the land. Wizards, sorcerers and magicians still plied their trade, though much of their power had given way to the machinations of men and their war machines. To the south of Scotia lay the realm of the Saxons ruled by Ethelred the Unready and his ruthless minions.To the west, Ireland had just come of age. Everywhere else the constant threat of a lightning swift Viking incursion loomed over the land.
 
Growing up in this lawless world is a displaced Daynin McKinnon, heir to an ancient familial keep on the island of Rhum. He and his grandfather Ean scratch out a living amongst the Saxons, careful never to divulge their clan heritage. That all changes when Kruzurk Makshare chooses Daynin as the ideal prospect to help him bring down a vile sorcerer named The Seed of Cerberus, ferreted away in his impregnable fortress at Blackgloom. Little does Kruzurk know that in so doing, he will launch young Daynin, himself and others on a vast, dangerous quest that no one could have foreseen.
*****
 
One Hollywood producer has dubbed this three book fantasy epic from Jon Baxley as,"BRAVEHEART meets THE LORD OF THE RINGS." Real places, people and events flesh out this fast moving,multi-faceted historical series but fear not fantasy readers. There's more than enough of the magical, mystical mayhem you have come to expect from great fantasy. Romance readers, too, will enjoy the 'spice' in these characters--and there are a lot of them--both human and otherwise.
 
Join those who have already taken their first step in THE SCYTHIAN STONE SAGA. Read The Blackgloom Bounty today (available in print and ebook formats.) Rated a mild PG-13 for violence and warfare.

From the Back Cover:

"The cold and dampness quickly began to drain his mental faculties. Mesmerized by visions of Sabritha, the treasure, and what the two combined might mean to his future, Daynin stepped inside the tomb wherein the Great Deceiver’s casket had lain for half a millennium. The boy’s mind went everywhere and nowhere at that instant. He picked up one of the ancient texts and placed it on the sarcophagus, allowing it to flop open to a velvet bookmark. Without thinking, he began to read aloud, seemingly unaware that he repeated a conjuration likely written by a sorcerer’s hand.

"Daynin scanned down the page, stopping abruptly when he finally realized what he had been reciting. Stunned by that revelation, his eyes immediately skipped from the book to several rows of pictographs carved on top of the sarcophagus. Shoving the book aside, he feverishly brushed away eons of dirt, decay and detritus, bringing the whole of a long hidden message to light. While he allowed his eyes to scan the markings, words formed in his head—almost like a chant—but different somehow, very different. Reading on, he could hear himself repeating lines left by an ancient Pictish priest who must have believed that Brude McAlpin would again walk in the land of the living, provided the right conditions prevailed."

About this edition

• Publisher: Five Star
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1594144516
• ISBN 13: 9781594144516
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 445