by Terry Brooks
First published 2011
Panterra Qu receives the last black staff from dying Sider Ament as their valley's protective magic crumbles after five centuries. The young Tracker becomes a Knight of the Word, facing threats that surge from multiple directions. Bloodthirsty Trolls mass outside the fallen barriers, preparing to invade the sanctuary where survivors of the Great Wars have lived in peace. Inside the valley, political chaos erupts when someone murders the Elf king of Arborlon. The king's daughter faces accusations while conspirators work to seize control of the kingdom. Panterra must master his new role and the staff's power quickly. A nameless agent of darkness hunts him relentlessly, determined to claim the black staff and kill whoever carries it. The young Knight fights to protect his people from external invasion and internal betrayal while learning to wield magic he barely understands.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, dark-fantasy, epic-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Arborlon, Great Wars
Period: Five Centuries
383 pages · Hardcover · Del Rey
Content warnings: violence