What others are saying about D. Barkley Briggs and The Legends of Karac Tor ...

“Briggs will no doubt be lauded for his clever writing and delectable prose, but his strength is his ability to tell a story. Themes of faith and redemption ring loud and true without seeming manufactured or irrelevant to the story. Young and old alike will be charmed and captivated by D. Barkley Briggs and his exceptional storytelling prowess…a groundbreaking new series.”

—TheChristianManifesto.com

“Magic and folklore at its very best.”

—GP Taylor, New York Times best-selling author

“Springs from the same mythic source as the great epics from Lewis, Lucas, and Lawhead. Briggs braids ancient strands of Arthurian myth together with his own homespun thread into a complex tapestry of magic and meaning, bravery and brotherhood.”

—Jeffrey Overstreet, author of The Auralia Thread

“The Book of Names weaves a tale that is both thrilling and wrought with hope. D. Barkley Briggs is a new and welcome voice in fantasy fiction.”

—Wayne Thomas Batson, author of The Door Within Trilogy

“The lyrical prose suits his intriguing tale and heightens the feel of another world. The Book of Names is sure to gather a following among young and old fantasy lovers.”

—Donita K. Paul, author of The Dragon Keeper Chronicles

“In the same vein as such master fantasy writers as J. R. R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, author D. Barkley Briggs has penned a superb fictional tale… fast-paced and compelling. Readers will be clamoring for Briggs’s next installment in this exciting and worthy new series.”

—Teenreads.com

“Epic fantasy with a strong Christian element woven in, telling the story of two teenage brothers who are offered unique power to change their world. Highly recommended.”

—Midwest Book Review

“Corus the Champion will capture your imagination and leave you begging for more.”

—FictionAddict.com

“Corus the Champion is everything we waited for… full of surprises, with layers of legend, faith and magic. Highly recommended.”

—Kaci Hill, co-author with Ted Dekker of Lunatic and Elyon

“An adventurous romp into an imaginative world. Any child with a head in the clouds would enjoy [The Song of Unmaking].”

—ChristianBookPreview.com

“Unique...awesome...amazing.”

—FlamingNet Book Reviews

“The Legends of Karac Tor will appeal to teens with themes of brotherhood, loyalty, and good vs. evil. The books pay homage to Narnia, Arthurian legend, as well as Nordic and Celtic mythology. A well-written series, both character and plot-driven. Recommended.”

—Christian Library Journal

“I am amazed at how this epic continues to expand with more and more subplots, all braided together in a wonderful way. You and your kids will love it.”

—The Christian Fantasy Review

AVAILABLE IN THE LEGENDS OF KARAC TOR® SERIES:

Book One:

The Book of Names

Book Two:

Corus the Champion

Book Three:

The Song of Unmaking

Book Four:

The Ravaged Realm

Book Five:

The War of Swords

Chapter 1

Perilous North

Hunched over like a bitter old man choking for breath, the darkened sky slowly peeled apart, wheezing and gushing and pounding the earth with a cruel, cutting wind. Snow came with it in sheets, shredded and brittle at first, absorbing all noise save the steady tramping of hooves and the faint, tinkly sound of the icy crystals. Then came the feathery snow, four days in a row, pouring from the sky as if expelled from a magic bellows, until Hadyn was no longer certain where they were, or if the jagged Frostmarch remained at all. Of course, the massive southern boundary of Bitterland had been there when they set out three weeks ago, and mountains don’t just move or disappear. But all the world had changed. All was a question, nothing was an answer. Perhaps the mountains themselves had simply been swallowed whole by the vast monster of the unrelenting storm.

Monsters. The word was a blight in his mind. Worriedly scanning left and right, he touched his sword with nervous, well-rehearsed fealty. Monsters were the new reality, constant, unwanted companions for their perilous trek north. He huddled closer into his coat, more certain than ever that this was a bad idea. Brodan seemed unfazed. There he was, ahead, in the lead, a hulking figure of wolf fur and grim determination. Hadyn was in the last position, with Asandra between them. They were each wrapped for warmth, not speed, bowed against the wind over the necks of their shaggy, weary gorse, so that not even Asandra’s purple robe could be spotted under all the layers. Snorting, their steeds labored in the ever-thickening snow. Easy food was now days past, no bare patches of grass. The gorse nibbled unhappily on pine needles, but had finally begun to weaken. Hadyn feared the beasts would not last much longer. Still, Sable Pass was nowhere to be seen.

He whipped his head around, feeling a familiar, dreadful rush of nerves, like whenever his cold, numb fingers finally enjoyed a fire’s warmth at the end of the day. Each night, the three of them would huddle in some random cave, take shifts, sleep poorly, but those few hours were the only times of relative peace, and that feeling of a thousand tiny needles prickling his fingers and toes was always one of welcome relief, for it meant the day was over, and he had managed another day without frostbite. But then, as each new morning dawned like a prison sentence, he could not help but sigh for that fire, that tingle of skin. Ahh...