The Wizard Lord's duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.
The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function--to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means.
Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious.
He had a duty to perform. A world to save.
So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?
**
The Wizard Lord's duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.
The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function--to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means.
Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious.
He had a duty to perform. A world to save.
So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?
The Wizard Lord's duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.
The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function--to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means.
Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious.
He had a duty to perform. A world to save.
So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Description:
The Wizard Lord's duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.
The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function--to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means.
Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious.
He had a duty to perform. A world to save.
So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?
**
The Wizard Lord's duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.
The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function--to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means.
Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious.
He had a duty to perform. A world to save.
So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?
The Wizard Lord's duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede.
The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function--to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means.
Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious.
He had a duty to perform. A world to save.
So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
**
From Publishers Weekly
Watt-Evans, author of the Obsidian Chronicles(Dragon Venom, etc.), depicts a fantasy world built on a system of checks and balances with real bite in the solid first of a new series. Barokan is ruled by the Wizard Lord, a wizard imbued with the combined magic of many wizards in order to keep them from running roughshod over the land. And to prevent the Wizard Lord from turning evil, there are eight Chosen Heroes imbued with aspects of the Wizard Lord's power so that working together they could defeat a rogue Wizard Lord. Breaker, a youth in the village of Mad Oak, assumes the mantle of the Chosen Swordsman as part of an effort to remove the current Wizard Lord. This is straightforward, old-fashioned sword and sorcery, though a little more philosophical than most. (Mar.)
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From Booklist
Watt-Evans adds to his laurels as a fantasist with the first volume of a new trilogy, The Awakening of the Chosen. The premise is simple: The world is ruled by the Wizard Lord, and he is surrounded by the Chosen, exceptional and original individuals who watch him for signs of abuse of power. Breaker, a young lad, meets a swordsman of the Chosen who is looking for someone to relieve him of his stress-laden post. Just as Breaker irrevocably commits to becoming one of the Chosen, the Wizard Lord begins showing signs of what some call aberrant behavior. Is the accusation just? If it is, how are the Chosen to go about performing their assigned duty of removing the Wizard Lord? And if they succeed, what happens in a world that has never been without the rule of the Wizard Lord in all its recorded history? Ethical and more practical dilemmas abound and, as presented by Watt-Evans' austere but expressive prose, bode well in terms of interest for the two forthcoming volumes. Roland Green
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