YORIEN'S HAND

Remember back in March I promised to tell you more about Yorien's Hand and what this story will be about? And then I never did?

Partially that was because I wanted to finish editing the actual book, and partially that was to allow people to have a chance to actually read Second Son first.

I feel enough time has passed, and I have completed that editing goal, so now you get some more information about this third book in my quadrilogy.

I know "quadrilogy" isn't technically a word. But it ought to be, therefore I use it.

Ahem.

So, to answer a few questions:

When does Yorien's Hand take place in relation to King's Warrior and Second Son?

Well, to begin with, Yorien's Hand  takes place three years after the end of King's Warrior. So chronologically, this book actually does fit as the third book, whether you read them in publication order or chronological order! Cool, huh?

Can Yorien's Hand be read as a stand-alone?

Not really. As books in a series go, I truly believe that both King's Warrior and Second Son stand alone fairly well. They are self-contained stories, and can be read in any order you choose. I wrote them out of chronological order, and so that is the way that I would recommend reading them, because I feel that if you read Second Son first, you might miss out on much of the mystery surrounding Brant that is a key part of King's Warrior... but then, the mystery isn't really the main point of that book, so it's not like the whole story is ruined once you know more about Brant... so really, read them in any order you like.

However, while Yorien's Hand is a self-contained story: beginning, middle, end, and no cliff-hanger... I still think most readers would be rather lost if they picked it up by itself without having read both previous books. As this story begins shortly after the events of King's Warrior, and then references many of the events that occur within Second Son, this book, far more than the previous two, does rely on the reader knowing about those events, the character-building that took place in both books, and the set-up of the world that is introduced in the previous books.

Who are the main characters?

This story follows all of our favorite characters from both stories, and the major players are:

Oraeyn (now King of Aom-igh)Kamarie (still technically a princess, though her family has moved out of the palace to fulfill Arnaud's lifelong dream of having his own small farm and a simpler life)Brant (who is advisor to both Oraeyn and his nephew Jemson, who is one of the youngest kings Llycaelon has ever seen)Yole (everyone's favorite lost dragon)Jemson (as he struggles with making good decisions for his country, particularly since the borders have come under heavy attack by creatures known as "seheowks")Zara and ArnaudDylannaLeilaRena (also featured in King's Warrior in a minor role, but plays a much more important role in this story)Justan returns and plays a larger role in this story, he is only briefly mentioned in King's Warrior, but is one of Oraeyn's most trusted knights

And of course, the ever enigmatic minstrel: Kiernan Kane

In this story, we also will meet a few new characters:Devrin (an aethalon fighting in the Border Patrol for Llycaelon)Shentallyia (a dragon... I'm not telling you anything more about her for now)Thorayenak and Rhimmel (dragons who volunteer to accompany our main heroes on the journey they must take)

And there you have the cast list.

And finally, what is the story about?

I haven't written up a true synopsis or "blurb" for this book yet, but I can tell you a little bit about it, just to whet your appetite, per se.

Oraeyn has been king of Aom-igh for just 2 years, but all is not well with the world. Rumors are circulating that a vast army has amassed on the far eastern side of the world, and reports have begun finding their way to Aom-igh that this army has begun to march west, leaving chaos and destruction in its wake.

To make matters worse, both Leila and Dylanna have suddenly and inexplicably gone missing. No word has been heard from them in several weeks, and neither Zara nor any dragon can find either of the wizardesses by any means, magical or otherwise.

Then Kiernan Kane delivers a cryptic message. He has heard of this enemy that now turns his eye towards their nation, and he is a threat not to be taken lightly. In the past, this sort of threat has been handled by High Kings with the aid of a mysterious and powerful talisman known as Yorien's Hand. The legends surrounding this object are numerous and fantastical, but two things are certain: Yorien's Hand does indeed exist, and with it lies their only hope of defending their world against this new threat.

The minstrel urges King Oraeyn to make the long voyage to Emnolae - the island country where Yorien's Hand is hidden - for it is possible that Oraeyn could be the next High King.

But can they reach this powerful weapon in time to defend their world?