The King of Light and Shadows

The Omaran Saga #3

by Adrian Cole

FANTASY-THIRD BOOK IN THE SERIES-THE ROD OF POWER,LEGACY OF THE SORCERER KINGS,IS STOLEN BY THE ALLIES OF THE EVIL ANAKHIZAR AS HE PREPARES TO UNLEASH CHAOS UPON OMARA.BRANNOG,NOW KING AMONG THE EARTHWROUGHT,SEARCHES FOR IT IN THE EASTERN WILDERNESS,WITH RUVANNA,A GIRL GIFTED WITH ELEMENTAL POWERS,AND SIMON WARGALLOW,RULER OF THE DELIVERERS.THEY PENETRATE THE LAND DEEP UNDER THE ICE TO FIND THE LEGENDARY CITY OF THE FAR BELOW AND BEYOND IT,MOUNT TIMELESS,HOME OF THE CORRUPT SUBLIME ONE,WHERE THE RENEGADE DELIVERER,MOURNDARK,HAS TAKEN SANCTUARY.THE BALANCE OF POWER WAIVERS TOWARDS THE FORCES OF DARKNESS AS ORHUNG'S ROD BECOMES THE KEY TO OMARA'S DESTINY.

Genres: Fantasy

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Adrian Cole was born in Plymouth, Devonshire in 1949. He is currently the Director of College Resources in a large secondary school in Bideford, where he now lives with his wife, Judy, son Sam, and daughter Katia. He remains best known for his Dream Lords trilogy as well as his young adult novels, Moorstones and The Sleep of Giants.

Reviews

[Phil Leader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brannog, who has been declared king of the Earthwrought despite being human, is hunting down the spawn of the evil city of Xennidhum that he helped destroy when he discovers something troubling. There are songs under the earth, beguiling the Earthwrought. Both his enemy turned ally Simon Wargallow and the rod of power held by Orhung have been captured. Who are the Earthwise and what do they want?

This was my introduction into the work of Adrian Cole, and it certainly impressed me. Firstly the tone is very much what would be described now as 'grimdark' with Wargallow being a particularly fine antihero. Secondly this is resolutely non-Tolkien and avoids so many fantasy tropes that were prevalent at the time. No orcs or elves. Instead we have altogether more imaginative creations - Children of the Mound, Deliverers.

This does start slow - it after all is part way through the saga and the characters are already established - but gradually builds to some fantastic set pieces, and a rather well executed and low key ending, setting up the fourth and final part of the series perfectly.

[Brett]

Fantasy