For the first time ever, Robert Stanek's In the Service of Dragons is available in a high-quality, hardcover edition with a dust jacket. This uniquely collectible edition features: two full-color cover illustrations; a special introduction to Ruin Mist's inhabitants, history, and languages; 20 full-page illustrations; an illustrated guide to people, places and things in Ruin Mist; and deluxe illustrated maps. About the Author: Robert Stanek is the award-winning, international best-selling author of more than 65 books for young people and adults. He lives with his wife and children in the Pacific Northwest in the United States, and is intensely fascinated with our natural world. He loves the outdoors and frequently takes his family on short trips to see the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest, including Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River Gorge, and Puget Sound. About the Book: In the Service of Dragons is the continuation of Robert Stanek's multilayered epic fantasy adventure for young adults that began with The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches and continued through The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches 2, 3, and 4. In his acclaimed The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books, he introduced us to the story of Ruin Mist, an extraordinary world of magic, adventure, and intrigue. Now in the eagerly awaited follow-up, he once again proves himself a wonderful storyteller with a gift for fast pacing and believable storylines. Already hailed as a classic, Robert Stanek's powerful series has been enjoyed by readers all over the world. The Elves of the Reaches returned from exile, bringing grave news. War came to the Kingdoms, and many perished in the turmoil and unrest. An attempt was made to kidnap a princess and assassinate a king. Now, from the ancient past a dark power returns. The Fourth Wind blows across the mountain tops, they say. And the Twelve Clans emerge from myth and memory. As prophecy becomes reality, the factions struggle for control only to further divide the lands. Some would say that it was foolish for King Andrew Alder to support the Elves of the Reaches and send men to aid their cause when Men in all lands were being put to the test of steel. And in the North, men back their words with action. Against a backdrop of treachery and intrigue, murder and mayhem, the price of freedom is high. Many will pay with their lives. Many will succumb to imprisonment and enslavement; for when alliances shatter, old hatreds rise anew and the plotting and scheming begin. Bold, inventive, brilliantly imagined, In the Service of Dragons is a novel of magic and wonder-a tale of pure excitement you will not soon forget.
