by Tad Williams
First published 2010
Barrick and Briony once lived as heirs to Southmarch, but their world collapsed when their father King Olin was captured and their brother Prince Kendrick died. Now the royal twins wander as exiles, driven from the only home they knew. Their flight leads them toward revelations that will shake everything they believed about their bloodline and their realm. The siblings discover that both royal houses and entire kingdoms guard secrets too dangerous to speak. Barrick and Briony must survive these shocking truths about their own heritage and about Southmarch itself. Yet knowledge alone cannot restore what they have lost. To win back their throne and save their people, they must face enemies on every side. Treacherous nobles, ruthless conquerors, and a divine king all stand against them. Even the gods themselves have turned their wrath upon the twins and their homeland.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, epic-fantasy, historical-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family
Setting: Southmarch
Period: medieval
672 pages · Hardcover · DAW
Content warnings: violence