The Last Ballad of Hope has been heard again. A song thought buried. A promise thought broken.**A few brave souls have dared to stand against evil.A curse plaguing generations has finally shattered.What of it?** The Dark One cannot be stopped. After thousands of years in shadow, Skara Pendain has claimed the name as he would a crown. And with it he has gained the throne of Erador. The east has fallen. The realm of men now bends to his will… or breaks beneath it. With Baelon Vos cast down, the Dragon Riders—once the last shield of the realm—are his to command. Their fire, their fury, an extension of his dominion. From horizon to horizon, Skara’s rule is absolute. All but one. In the south, the Kedradi of Qalanqath refuse to kneel. They do not hide. They do not yield. They are hunters. Drawing Skara’s armies into a trap, they prepare for a clash that will decide the fate of Verda itself. Led by Kassanda Grey and Joran Pendain, the survivors of Skara’s wrath place their faith in the few Riders who still remember their oaths… …in those who might yet bring about a Time of Dragons. It is only a vision. Seen by ten thousand eyes. Paid for with ten thousand lives. A future that could be—not one that will be. Because the board is breaking. While Baelon Vos searches in the dark for a relic that could turn the tide of war, and new heroes draw their line in the hot sands of Kanofell, something far older has awakened. Something no one can command, not even Daijen Saeth. The Dragon Lord. The first of his kind. Malliath. Freed from the Shadow Realm, the ancient black dragon breathes the air of Verda once more. He remembers it all. The betrayal. The chains. His heart now beats to the ancient song of vengeance. Skara must turn from conquest to survival. His throne can wait. His war cannot. For what comes next is not a battle for kingdoms… …but a reckoning. A duel of man and beast. Rider against dragon. And this time, there will be no victor. Only Death—at last stepping onto the board, to claim them all.
Author
Philip C. Quaintrell is the author of the epic fantasy series, The Echoes Saga, as well as the Terran Cycle sci-fi series. He was born in Cheshire in 1989 and started his career as an emergency nurse. Having always been a fan of fantasy and sci-fi fiction Philip started to find himself feeling frustrated as he read books, wanting to delve into the writing himself to tweak characters and storylines. He decided to write his first novel as a hobby to escape from nursing and found himself swept away into the world he'd created. Even now he talks about how the characters tell him what they're going to do next, rather than the other way around. With his first book written, and a good few rejected agency submissions under his belt, he decided to throw himself in at the deep end and self-publish. 2 months and £60 worth of sales in, he took his wife out to dinner to celebrate an achievement ticked off his bucket list - blissfully unaware this was just the beginning. Fast forward a year and he was self-publishing book 1 of his second series (The Echoes Saga; a fantasy series written purely as a means to combat his sci-fi writers' block). With no discernible marketing except the 'Amazon algorithm' the book was in the amazon bestsellers list in at least 4 countries within a month. With 7 of 9 books released, the Echoes Saga has now surpassed 300k copies sold worldwide, has an option agreement for a potential TV-series in the pipeline and Amazon now puts Philip's sales figures in the top 1.8% of self-published authors worldwide. Now an official 'Full Time Author' Philip lives in Cheshire, England with his wife and toddler son, and still finds time between naps and wiping snot off his clothes to remain a movie aficionado and comic book connoisseur, and is hoping this is still just the beginning. email: philipcquaintrell@gmail.com - I reply to them all! Check out my author page on Facebook or my Instagram using Philip C. Quaintrell.
