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    Barrenlands
    Barrenlands
    Barrenlands
    Ebook397 pages5 hours

    Barrenlands

    By Doranna Durgin

    4/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    “Durgin has a remarkable gift for inventing unusual characters doing incredible things.”
    –Kliatt
    ~~~~~

    Before there was Dun Lady’s Jess...

    When Ehren’s sovereign and friend was killed, Ehren, First of the King’s Guard, was far away — sent on a wild goose chase by the First Level Ministry, whose number he now believes must contain at least one traitor.

    When a First Level wizard orders him to stop searching for the assassins and instead to find and neutralize the dead king’s distant family, his suspicions deepen to near certainty.
    And Ehren is determined to find those exiles – if only so that he may guard them with his life.

    Other books in this series: Dun Lady’s Jess, Changespell, Changespell Legacy
    ~~~~

    Award-winning author Doranna Durgin has nearly 40 published novels (MMPB, trade, and hardcover) and another 19 short pieces. Now available from the author, BARRENLANDS is a re-released Baen Fantasy: Magic, betrayal, and a twice-cursed exile--only one man's determination can untangle the deadly intrigue that binds them together. (Changespell Saga Prequel)

    “Ms. Durgin knows full well the value of pacing as she exquisitely choreographs action and character development into a pleasing whole.”
    –Romantic Times

    “...Crisp, vivid imagery...the details sweep you off your feet and carry you away to another world...”
    –Hypatia’s Hoard

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDoranna Durgin
    Release dateNov 10, 2012
    ISBN9781301570065
    Barrenlands
    Author

    Doranna Durgin

    Doranna Durgin spent her childhood filling notebooks first with stories and art, then with novels. After obtaining a degree in wildlife illustration and environmental education, she spent a number of years deep in the Appalachian Mountains. When she emerged, it was as a writer who found herself irrevocably tied to the natural world and its creatures - and with a new touchstone to the rugged spirit that helped settle the area, which she instills in her characters. Dun Lady's Jess, Doranna's first published fantasy novel, received the 1995 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall award for the best first book in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres; she now has fifteen novels of eclectic genres on the shelves and more on the way. Most recently, she's leaped gleefully into the world of action-romance. When she's not writing, Doranna builds author web sites, wanders around outside with a camera and works with horses and dogs - currently, she's teaching agility classes. There's a Lipizzan in her backyard, a mountain looming outside her office window, a pack of agility dogs romping in the house and a laptop sitting on her desk - and that's just the way she likes it.

    Read more from Doranna Durgin

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    Reviews for Barrenlands

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Prequel fantasy novel which works well as a standalone. The Barrenlands of the title are a magical wasteland that forms an almost impassable border territory between two countries. But where there is a border, there will be crossings, and people who make a living bringing things across that border, whether it is with or without the blessing of the governments concerned. Ehran, head of the King's Guard, will end up tangling with it more than once in his quest first to find the murderers of his beloved king, and then to find and dispose of the family of the king's brother. He's been sent on the latter mission supposedly to prevent the exile trying to seize the throne from the king's young son, a mission he rightly sees as a means of getting him out of the way of an unknown traitor within the court.Some nice world-building here, with appealing characters and a worthwhile mystery. It's obvious from the first who the villain is, because Ehren's not stupid and already has his suspicions. But means and motive are another matter, and untangling those make for an entertaining story. A short novel offering an enjoyable way to pass a few hours.
    • 4/5
      A very rich story. I've read it before, but a long time ago. The author refers to it as a Changespell prequel - I didn't link it to Changespell before, though mage lure appears in both. It feels more like the King's Wolf series, with a senior royal guard forced out and on his own, and dealing with problems in the court without being able to be there. Which, of course, means I need to reread the Changespell series and see the echoes of this... Good solid world and characters - Ehren and Laine get most of the POV scenes, with brief glimpses of others (Shette, at least). The villain is pretty obvious from the start, but the why of it is much deeper - deeper than anyone knows, it takes them the whole book to put together all the pieces and uncover...most of the the secrets. There's still some hiding at the end of the book. There certainly could be another story of Ehren, let alone Laine, but there doesn't need to be - matters have reached a solid conclusion, as well. Excellent, like most early Durgin. I wish she'd drop the contemporary romances and urban fantasy and come back to this sort of writing.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Good deep characters with some development, interesting storyline even if the villain was predictable, and fun to read. Also a reasonably professional presentation, with decent proofreading and good formatting and editing. Thanks very much for the read!
    • 4/5
      In a fantasy world of magic, a king is assassinated and his surviving guard, Ehren, has spent a year trying to hunt down the culprit. Then the wizard Varien sends him to find the family of the dead king's older brother, who ran away years ago marry the woman he loved. This family could threaten the claim of the current king, a rather spoiled young man. Ehren falls in with a merchant caravan guided by Laine, a young man who can See dangerous spells. Laine and his sister, Shette, end up helping Ehren on his quest to track the assassin. Then Ehren realizes that they are the children of the runaway prince, and decides he cannot betray their friendship. They begin to realize that there is a big smuggling conspiracy behind suspicious military changes, and that the evidence points to Varien. Together, Ehren and Laine confront and defeat Varien. An engaging, involved story.
    • 4/5
      The neighboring countries of Solvany and Therand have long been separated from each other by an almost impassable wasteland known as the Barrenlands. Created by magic, the rift strips sanity from any non-royal person who steps across its boundary without special dispensation from one of the royal families. Getting trade goods from one country to the other has evolved into a tidily profitable market for a few brave traders willing to make the long and treacherous journey through the mountains to the east. Tradition has it that the Barrenlands keep peace between the two countries, but when tentative negotiations seem to spell the end of centuries old hostility, it threatens a fragile balance -- and a profitable sideline. Solvany's king, and the majority of the royal guard are slaughtered. The question of just who is to blame takes Ehren, the only surviving guard, on a journey that may cost him his life, or, if he's lucky, gain him something more precious.A good story which starts with a bang and then lags a bit. Although clumsily plotted in places, it shows promise. I was reminded of Mercedes Lackey's early series. I will definitely look for more from this author.

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    Barrenlands - Doranna Durgin

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