"Tom Bielawski is a bright light in today's dark sea of new writers. His writing gives me hope for the next generation of dreamers. I highly recommend both him and his works." - NYT Bestselling author, Tracy Hickman. Paths of Darkness is an exciting prelude to The Chronicles of Llars. Shalthazar the dark wizard came to Llars seeking power beyond imagining, and got more than he ever imagined. This book precedes A Tide of Shadows. It is a short novelette of approximately 4,500 words total length.

Carym of Hyrum is a respected village hero. That is until he is wrongly accused of rebellion and murder. Saved from execution at the hands of the authorities by the very band of rebels he despises, Carym must risk everything to repay the criminals for his freedom by undertaking a dangerous quest for a vial of water from the mythical Everpool. Meanwhile, a dark wizard in league with the evil god, Umber, leads an army bent on the conquest of the entire Northern Continent. He, too, seeks the Everpool, but for far more sinister purposes and his powerful minions hunt Carym at every turn. A shake up is occurring in the heavens as the offspring of the Father God war with each other and with Him for dominance over the peoples of Llars. In order to reach the Everpool Carym must learn to deal with his new powers, dodge monstrous hunters, guard against betrayal, and resist the evil temptations that threaten to overwhelm him like a Tide of Shadows. Newly revised 3rd edition. Estimated page count is 400.

After being marooned in the vast and mysterious underworld known as the Underllars, Carym and Zach must try to find a way back to the surface and continue their quest for the Everpool. But Zach's new secret, and his growing paranoia, casts the shadow of suspicion upon him by all of the companions. His life-long friendship with Carym is in danger, as is their quest to find the Everpool, even as the hunters of the Dark Lord close in. Estimated page count is 400. Due to request from a number of readers who felt that A Tide of Shadows was too long, it has been split into two volumes. Prior to April 20, 2012, A Tide of Shadows also contained Volume The Black Keep, though it was not labeled as such. If you bought A Tide of Shadows before April 20, 2012, you already have both volumes and your next book will be Volume Shadowblade, available May, 1, 2012. Thanks!

"Tom Bielawski is a bright light in today's dark sea of new writers. His writing gives me hope for the next generation of dreamers. I highly recommend both him and his works." -NYT Bestselling author, Tracy Hickman. When Zach turned his back on Carym, even as his lifelong friend contended with the haunted lands of the Black Baron, he had had his doubts about the wisdom of his choice. But a chance encounter with a patrol of the corrupt peacekeepers of Powyss, the Red Dragons, showed Zach a sample of the powers of his new dagger, and all thoughts of his friends were forgotten. The lure of the seedy and dark underworld of Powyss was irresistible. Gambling, thievery, murder, were all ways that Zach was good at making money. But Powyss offered more than he bargained for. A tragic event prompted Zach to take revenge on the corrupt Red Dragons who police, and terrorize, the city of Powyss and Zach is no longer a small time player. As the bodycount of the Red Dragon mercenaries rises, far greater powers begin to take notice of this mysterious “Shadowblade.” But the pull of fate, and the minions of the Shadow, will not be ignored and Zach will have to contend with the call of the Everpool once more.

"Tom Bielawski is a bright light in today's dark sea of new writers. His writing gives me hope for the next generation of dreamers. I highly recommend both him and his works." - NYT Bestselling author, Tracy Hickman. The quest for the mythical Everpool resumes and Carym is closer than ever to finding the terror-filled lair of the Dark Paladin; so are the hunters of the Shadowfyr. Shalthazar faces his own struggles for survival and must guard against threats from within as he unleashes his own plans for domination. The Shadowblade undertakes a dangerous quest of his own seeking an alliance with the unpredictable ogres, and faces a reckoning with his own dark desires. And the horror of Umber's true plan for the world finally becomes clear, when all paths converge on The Tomb of the Dark Paladin.