RACES:
As most probably know, this series is based in the world of Elan (the same setting for the Riyria books), but it takes place 3,000 years in the past. At that time, humans (Rhunes) are primitive people living in thatch-roofed huts and wielding stone-tipped spears. They are highly superstitious, polytheistic, and have been forbidden by the Fhrey (elves) to cross the rivers on the western edge of their borders. The Rhunes are divided into ten factions (seven Rhulyn clans in the south and three Gula clans in the north). Historically, these two groups have been continually warring (a conflict spurred by the Fhrey). But by the end of Age of Swords, they have joined forces under a single leader (Keenig Persephone) in the hopes of surviving an impending war with the Fhrey.
The Fhrey, on the other hand, are technologically advanced, long-lived, and some (Miralyith) are able to call on the forces of nature to wield magic (what they refer to as the Art). They are governed by Ferrol’s Law which prohibits Fhrey-on-Fhrey killing except when sanctioned by their leader (the fane) or upon a fane’s death (when it can be used in a one-on-one challenge to select a new leader). At the time of the books, there is disharmony in the Fhrey civilization, because the Miralyith (those that wield magic) have taken power and they are beginning to see other Fhrey as inferior. In Age of Swords, there was an uprising by the Gray Cloaks (a group of Miralyith) who wanted to establish the dominance of their tribe. It was squelched, but its formation only served to deepen the resentment between the Miralyith and all other Fhrey tribes.
The Dherg (also known as Belgriclungreians), are dwarfs who lost the last great war with the Fhrey, and now they live in exile as the Fhrey are trying to keep them from becoming a threat once more. They are excellent craftsmen but suspicious of outsiders, and they lead a solitary existence. In Age of Swords Persephone takes a small group across the sea in the hope of trading Dherg-made swords for their coming war with the Fhrey. She does this in exchange for ridding the dwarfs with a not-so-little problem, an ancient and powerful beast that has been set loose in their homeland making it uninhabitable.
It should be noted that there are other races in Elan such as Grenmorians (giants), Ghazel (goblins) as well as creatures (crimbals, raow, and such). But for the most part, they are not a significant focus of the previous books (except the raow, who did show up in Age of Swords).
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CHARACTERS:
Since Michael writes character-driven stories, I thought a re-introduction of the various players (and how they fit into the overall plot), would be helpful. Through these descriptions, you should be well-prepared for Age of War. In case that’s not enough, I’ve also provided a condensed plot outline after this section.
Please note, I won’t be discussing all the characters encountered in Age of Swords, but if you need more memory refreshing, you can skim Age of War’s glossary. The way the glossaries are structured is that they are spoiler-free for the book you are reading, but they are updated with each installment (expanding on entries based on new information revealed in the previous book).
Persephone (Rhune): The widowed wife of the Rhulyn-Rhune chieftain of Dahl Rhen. By the end of Age of Swords, she becomes the ruler (keenig) of all ten clans. This is accomplished primarily because of two actions. First, she brought all the Rhunes together (as united they are better equipped to defend themselves against the Fhrey). And second, she traveled to Neith (the land of the Dherg) and returned with the technology for iron weapons, which are a vast improvement from both the Rhune’s stone-tipped spears and the Fhrey’s bronze-based swords.
Arion (Fhrey): A Miralyith who is sent to Dhal Rhen by Fane Lothian to retrieve the rebel Nyphron. While attempting to apprehend him, she is attacked and loses most of her magical ability. While recovering she meets a Rhune with the ability to wield the Art (Suri), and she believes if adequately trained, this Rhune Artist could show her fane that Rhune and Fhrey are both worthy of life and could peacefully co-exist. During Persephone’s trip to Belgreig (land of the dwarfs), Arion exhausts her magic and her life force and returns to Dahl Rhen unconscious and near death.
Suri (Rhune): A young mystic (a person who communes with nature spirits and animals), and she is also the only Rhune Artist. Under the tutelage of Arion, her powers grow dramatically, and she defeats the beast plaguing the Dherg homeland. This is accomplished at a high price (she sacrifices Minna, a white wolf who has been her best-friend for most of her life). After the Dherg leader breaks his promise to provide swords for Persephone’s war with the Fhrey, Suri destroys their ancient city.
Raithe (Rhune): The Chieftain of Clan Duryea, which was destroyed by the Fhrey in Age of Myth. Dureyans are known as capable fighters (and Raithe is well trained), but he would rather live a peaceful life in the forbidden lands of the Fhrey where the game is plentiful, and life is easy. He’s fallen in love with Persephone and wants to take her away to this idyllic place, but the keening’s loyalty to her besieged people keeps her rooted. Raithe is also known as the God-killer and killed both Shegon and Gryndal. He was offered the position of keenig but turned it down as he feels war with the Fhrey is futile.
Nyphron (Fhrey): The commander of a small but skilled contingent of fighters known as Galantians. He’s also the son of Zephyron, the last challenger of Fane Lothian for leadership over their people. He comes to Dahl Rhen as an outcast after refusing to kill Rhunes. In Age of Swords, he tries to unite the Rhune clans under his banner but is frustrated to discover Rhune law forbid non-Rhune rulers.
Malcolm (Rhune): The ex-slave of Nyphron’s father who gains his freedom when Raithe kills the first Fhrey), through most of the first two books he is the unassuming sidekick to Raithe, but there are signs that he has been working with Nyphron and also advancing his own, yet to be revealed, agenda.
Lothian (Fhrey): Ruler (fane) of the Fhrey people and a Miralyith (practitioner of the Art – meaning a magic user). In Age of Swords he was nearly killed by a rogue contingent of his own kind (the Gray Cloaks) who sought even more power than they already wield.
Mawyndulë (Fhrey): Son of Lothian and next in line to rule. Young, naïve, and easily manipulated he falls in love with Makareta and the Gray Cloaks (a group of Miralyith who want to place their tribe above all others). He is used as a puppet by the Gray Cloaks, but instead of joining them he ends up supporting his father, and during the battle, he saves many high-ranking officials as well as the site of their governing body. That’s pretty much it for the main players, but I do want to briefly touch on some of the people that came into prominence in Age of Swords as they will have an even more influential part to play in Age of War.
Tesh (Rhune): The only surviving Dureyan (besides Raithe). He’s young, feisty and wants nothing more than to kill every Fhrey in existence for the destruction they brought to his family and his clan. Raithe schools him, but also encourages the boy to study Fhrey fighting techniques.
Roan (Rhune): An ex-slave with an incredibly inventive mind, who is terribly scarred from the deep wounds of an oppressive master. Roan is a genius, and when needs arise, she’s able to come up with answers to complex problems such as how to transport goods over long distances (using a cart) or killing from a distance (with a bow and arrow).
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Moya (Rhune): Known for her big-mouth and lack of decorum, she always speaks her mind. She accompanies Persephone to the Dherg homeland to act as her Shield (bodyguard), a task that becomes easier once she masters a new invention of Roan’s…the bow and arrow.
Brin (Rhune): Dahl Rhen’s Keeper of Way (historian) who develops a form of writing so their oral tradition can be saved in written form.
Gifford (Rhune): An incredibly talented potter, a task even more impressive due to his severely crippled body. Desperately in love with Roan, the two make a tragic pair, him with his broken body, and her with a broken spirit.
Padera (Rhune): Oldest resident of Dahl Rhen, opinionated and stubborn, she’s still the one you want to have around when you are hurt or in need of a good meal.
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PLOT OVERVIEW:
If you’ve read the character descriptions above, you pretty much know all the relevant details relating to the plot of Age of Swords. But this is a recap, after all, so a quick summary is appropriate. Again, I’m leaving out much of the detail for brevity’s sake. I’m going to divide the plots into two – one following the story line of the Rhunes and the other following the Fhrey.
RHUNE OVERVIEW:
In retaliation for killing First Minister Gryndal, the fane of the Fhrey sends an army of giants to destroy Dahl Rhen. He also uses the magical focusing power of Avempartha (a tower on the Nidwalden River) to target Arion for turning traitor. Nyphron and his Galantians fend off the giant attack, but the village is destroyed. Arion survives the assassination attempt, by using the shelter of a Dherg rol (stone hiding place). There, they meet three dwarfs: Frost, Flood, and Rain. When faced with a Miralyith the dwarfs are initially frightened, but they later realize having someone with the Art could solve a problem they have back in their homeland, a giant who has taken up residence and prevents the use of their most sacred city.
With the village in ruins, and war looming, Persephone decides to move the survivors of Dahl Rhen to Dahl Tirre, the home of the nearest Rhunic clan. She also sends runners to the other clans, asking them to send their chieftains to elect a single ruler to unite all the various tribes. When the chieftains gather, they mainly fight amongst themselves, each vying for the position of keening. The only exception is Raithe, who feels war with the Fhrey is folly. He plans to leave (before war comes) when he finds Tesh, a survivor of Duryea. The young boy convinces Raithe into staying (and also teaching him how to fight).
Persephone learns that the dwarfs want Arion to rid their homeland of the giant. And since the chieftains are getting nowhere, she decides a trade may be in order. If she can eliminate the giant problem, the dwarfs might provide the Rhunes with weapons for the upcoming war with the Fhrey. She assembles a small party consisting of herself, Arion, Suri (and her wolf Minna), Brin, Moya, and Roan.
When they arrive in Belgreig (land of the dwarfs), they discover that Rain, Frost, and Flood are outlaws because they were the ones to unleash the giant in the first place. They are primarily using Persephone to correct their misdeeds. Also, it turns out it’s not just a giant but an ancient demon. Persephone strikes a bargain with Gronbach (the Dherg leader), and the team (including the three dwarfs) set off.
During their adventures underground, they survive several perils: a raow attacks Brin, their supplies are lost, and a fall into an underground river takes them so deep as to be virtually buried alive. They also discover the Agave (a prison where an ancient being had been trapped). In ages past, the dwarfs routinely betrayed the “old one,” who eventually broke free and created Balgargarath (the demon) to punish those that had abused him. While trapped, he wrote about many things including the origin of the world, secrets to various metals, and how he created Balgargarath. These tablets were discovered by Persephone and her team.
The Balgargarath finally finds the small group, and Arion discovers it’s a manifestation of the Art, and as such it is immune to magic. The party retreats to the Agave, where Arion taps the life force of the party to keep the demon at bay. Eventually, Brin and Suri discover the steps the old one used to create Balgargarath, and it’s possible that a similar being could be made, but it would require a great sacrifice. Arion, who is dying anyway, asks Suri to kill her and make the beast. Instead, Suri sacrifices Minna creating a Gilarabrywn (dragon) that fights the demon. During its creation, it’s discovered that piercing one of these creatures with its true name can break the spell. Brin inscribes Balgargarath’s name on an arrow, Moya fires, and the beast is destroyed.
As the party returns to the surface (with Arion unconscious and near death), it is discovered that the Gilarabrywn/Minna has a limited range, and as such, it can’t leave the dwarven city of Neith. While Persephone goes to report on Balgargarath’s death, Suri remains behind with her creation.
Gronbach double crosses Persephone and won’t provide the promised weapons. She then informs him that while his ancient homeland is free of Balgargarath, she now controls a dragon that has replaced it. Persephone agrees to remove it as well, but only if he makes good on his promise. He concedes, and she tells him that a sword needs to be created to rid the dragon. She insists that it’s essential that Roan and Brin oversee the process for this unique weapon (which is Persephone’s way of discovering the secrets of iron metalworking). Suri kills the Gilarabrywn version of Minna, and once more Gronbach reneges on his promise. When he tries to retrieve Minna’s sword from Suri, she levels Neith, making it forever out of reach of the dwarfs. Gronbach provides passage to rid his land of Suri, and they return with just a single sword but the knowledge of how to make more.
While Persephone was gone, the Gula-Rhunes lay siege to Tirre and want their own leader to become the keenig. They propose one-on-one combat between Raithe and their leader to determine whether the Rhulyn-Rhunes or the Gula-Rhunes will preside. Raithe is a good fighter, but he knows he’ll lose against the more seasoned Gula warrior. He plans to try anyway. Before he can engage, Persephone returns, and she appoints Moya as her champion. She slays the Gula chieftain from a distance (using another one of Roan’s arrows). This makes Persephone the ruler of all ten clans.
In the concluding scenes of the book, we once more see Malcolm and Nyphron. Nyphron is angry because he isn’t the keening, making it difficult for him to use the Rhunes in a war against his own people. Malcolm points out that if he marries Persephone, he can rule via a proxy. We also see Suri keeping watch over the dying Arion. While Suri has no idea how to save Arion, she’s going to brave new waters and see if she can bring her friend and mentor back. The book ends with, “Hang on Arion, I’m coming.”
FHREY OVERVIEW:
Much of the Fhrey portion of the book centers on Mawyndulë (son to fane Lothian). He’s appointed as the junior representative to the Aquila, an organization where two representatives of each tribe discuss governmental issues. While mainly symbolic (as the fane has complete control), his father thinks it will be a good idea to learn more about governing. Mawyndulë also meets Makareta, a young Miralyith, and his attraction to her leads him to the Gray Cloaks (a secret subversive society). Mawyndulë thinks they are merely like-minded and harmless, but they are quite dangerous, and they use Mawyndulë to get inside information that can help with their rebellion. When they frame the senior Miralyith councilor, Mawyndulë takes his place and appoints Makareta as his junior.
Mawyndulë is shocked when the Gray Cloaks rise up and start killing Fhrey, and that Lothian (Mawyndulë’s father) is their prime target (fearing him too weak to really bring the Miralyith to the position they should have in society). Mawyndulë breaks with the Gray Cloaks and while trying to save his own life, ends up preserving the Aquila and several influential leaders (including Imaly, the curator and one of two people who can help determine the succession at the death of the fane). Like the Gray Cloaks, Imaly sees Mawyndulë as easy to manipulate, and by the end of the book, it’s clear that history will repeat itself, and Mawyndulë is once more in over his head.
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IN CONCLUSION:
We are so pleased that people are excited for Age of War. It has a great story to tell, and we can’t wait until the book is released so we can hear what others think of it. If you do pick up a copy, please leave a review or just a few comments on sites like Goodreads, Audible, or your favorite online retailer. All we ask for is an honest opinion, but of course, the hope is that you’ll find the book entertaining and worthy of your time.