Dreams of Darkness: Book 1 of The Everdark War

‘"About three months ago, as I expect you already know, all travel between here and Estlin stopped completely," she said, returning to lean against her desk. "Since then, no one from there has left the country and no one who has gone there from here has ever returned. They cross the mountains and disappear"’ due to the dark barrier around the borders. Simeon, finest Seer of the Temple, had turned into a raving lunatic when he tried to pass the barrier. Randrik alt Harbinnen, an empath capable of strong gifts of emotional foresight, was approached by his Aunt Callisa, Prime Seeker of the Temple of Light to seduce Perian, an adept nomad. Callisa felt Perian was capable of great powers if not for her strict upbringing. It was written in the Book of Jeraltham that certain signs foretold the end of the world and the council believed that Perian was the "Lost Child of the Forest" who could save the earth.

Against the council’s advice, Randrik tells Perian about the real nature of his assignment after she passes out in the garden. The council threatens to replace him with someone who will seduce her. He tells Perian she must leave the Temple of Light before they do replace him. When he came to take her from the temple, he saw her captive by some mental force similar to one that reached out to Simeon. After pulling her out of the trance, they had set out on a trek to get her safely to her people while the Guard, the Watch, and the King’s Men scoured the town for Perian. Others also searched for them since Erdel, Queen of the Beggars posted a reward for Randrik’s capture. Perian realized that her nightmares of being pursed by The Lord of the Everdark where signs of the future. How will Randrick and Perian alone be able to save the world with so many fighting to stop them?

Dreams of Darkness starts slowly, but once the adventure takes to the road one peril after another befalls Randrik and Perian involving the reader emotionally in their problems. Perian finds everything she ever believed about herself was a lie and the people who raised her were cruel and abusive. Randrik deals with emotions unknown to him and finds confusion. These two deeply troubled characters, show realistic feelings that only a brick wall could not ache for. With Dreams of Darkness being only the end of book 1 and the beginning of the saga, this story displays the staying power of JRR Tolkin’s, The Lord of the Rings.