“Wizard’s War,” the exciting first novel by
Phoenix Hilson, was published in November 1997 by Commonwealth Publications.By Phoenix Hilson
“Wizard’s War,” the exciting first novel by
Phoenix Hilson, was published in November 1997 by Commonwealth Publications.
The Sphere of Power has been stolen by the evil sisters, Thalassa and Morrigan, of the God-clan el-Chai. It is up to a young girl, named Eessa, who is called to power by a dragon named Tick. She must assert herself in a society where men alone are given challenges such as the one Tick gives Eessa. Her father, Arik, is Master of the Word to Fasha Ydrell. Doing the dragon’s bidding, Master Arik presents his young daughter to the Fasha and tells him of her mission. He begins her training at Castle Raven so she will be ready when Tick’s daughter, Rama, returns for her.
Eessa is told to gather a force consisting of each life form on her world. Darvok, king of the Dava-airs; Ziss, a wayward vulture; Tanisha, queen of the fairies; Aubrian, prince of the elves; and Weylin the Shapeshifter all come to her father’s home, Castle Wren, to aid in the Sphere’s return.
Meanwhile, Shaddai el-Chai has taken on the form of a bumbling wizard named Wink. With the help of his personal dragon, Salisra, Wink helps to guide the party into the Wastelands where his sisters live at Castle Dredd. In the Caves of Teth they meet another dragon named Blood, sister to Salisra. She joins their party and helps to find the Sphere.
The sisters, unaware that the theft of the Sphere has been noticed by their brother, engage the service of a mighty wizard named Viper. It is his duty to unlock the secrets of the Sphere of Power. Using a child named Gem, Thal and Morri learn that Shaddai has gathered a force together to battle them for possession of the Sphere.
Using all their cunning, the two evil sisters try to thwart Shaddai’s plan. While his group travels to the Wastelands, they are followed by a medicine man named Blaze. He was told in a dream to find the Sphere and return it to its rightful place in the Cave of Mishreal where its true owner resides. Blaze joins the group after several encounters with evil entities, including a creature named Death who delivers Eessa to Viper.
Using what powers she has against the odds, Eessa finds herself in the Sphere’s presence. Unable to stop it, the Sphere’s power overwhelms her and she finds herself caught within its inner matrix. While she is inside the Sphere, her fellows find their way to Castle Dredd.
A battle unfolds between the forces of good and evil in the underground maze of Castle Dredd. Ziss is transformed into a white eagle, a symbol given to blaze in his dream. The sisters are destroyed in a war that almost costs Shaddai his life, and the group then searches for Eessa and the Sphere. Eessa, released from the Sphere’s influence, finds that the sisters’ soldiers have been captured from another planet named Earth. The dragons know how to return them to their own world and do so, leaving behind one soldier named Brutis.
Eessa and the others travel back to Castle Wren with the Sphere. She and Blaze have found a deep love springing between them, but their time is not yet. Agreeing to meet at a later date, they alone know the challenges ahead for all concerned. The adventure of returning the Sphere of Power has only just begun.
Copyright © 1997 by Phoenix Hilson. All rights reserved.
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