I’m looking for a fantasy book. I can’t remember the title. At the start of the book the good guys are in a castle I think and an evil sorcerer woman attacks. She casts some kind of magic field spell which stops powerful spells reaching her and the wizard of the good guys figures out weak spells like a kindness or tickle spell will reach her and the good guys survive. There’s a prophecy cube or sphere or something which starts a game of some sort where the winning player becomes king or something.
A few chapters later one of the good guys is prisoner of the enemy but the enemy doesn’t know. The good guy slips and gets covered in mud to hide his identity And he’s chosen to make a team to play in a sport tournament. He puts lightning symbols and stuff on his face with paint to keep his identity hidden while playing. The sport is played on kind of a grid system. There are safe squares for players to rest and not get beaten up. And the sports really violent and it’s got a ball so there are goals to score points.
A few chapters later one of the good guys is prisoner of the enemy but the enemy doesn’t know. The good guy slips and gets covered in mud to hide his identity And he’s chosen to make a team to play in a sport tournament. He puts lightning symbols and stuff on his face with paint to keep his identity hidden while playing. The sport is played on kind of a grid system. There are safe squares for players to rest and not get beaten up. And the sports really violent and it’s got a ball so there are goals to score points.