Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse Series

Anaxantis, prince of Ximerion. You will hate him... if your heart isn't big enough. While the kingdom of Ximerion is threatened at its southern border by a major power, the high king sends his two youngest sons, the half brothers Anaxantis and Ehandar, as Lord Governors to the Northern Marches where minor raids by wild barbarians are expected. Under the guidance of an old and trusted general, the king hopes to keep the young princes far from the major conflict in the south, while at the same time providing them with a valuable learning experience. The estranged half brothers are rivals, but soon they feel attracted to each other. As if this was not enough of a complication, they begin to suspect that they were set up by their own father. The result is a fierce struggle for power where the lines between hate and love become almost indistinguishable and where nothing is what it seems.

Anaxantis, prince of Ximerion. Is the strain becoming too much? The threat of a barbarian invasion is imminent now, and the resources to organize the defense meager, to say the least. Moreover, the high king, father of the princes, begins to worry that one of his intrepid sons might do irreparable damage to the kingdom by provoking a force, greater than they can handle. Then there is the tortured relationship between Anaxantis and Ehandar... Luckily for him, queen Emelasuntha, his mother, has Anaxantis's back. But will it be enough? A lot of new characters, each with their own story, appear on the stage. Young pages, some cute, some haughty and arrogant, a mysterious, barbarian prince and a ruthless baron are just a few of them. Between all the turmoil of a country in upheaval, there is still room for love, tenderness, and laughter.

Anaxantis, prince of Ximerion. Not certain who he can trust, Anaxantis keeps recruiting and training troops, with dogged tenacity, to face the barbarian invasion. Who is the spy, leaking information to his father, the high king? What to do about the new arrival who tries to free his brother? Was the barbarian prince really captured or does he have a hidden agenda? Amid all the preparations for war, Lorcko of Iramid is looking for love. True love, this time. However, his reputation is working against him. Anaxantis has his own troubles in the love department. Soon he will be forced to make some hard decisions. Is he up to it, or will he finally buckle down under the strain?

Anaxantis, Prince of Ximerion… Lorsanthia, the giant southern enemy, has suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Anaxantis's oldest brother, Prince Tenaxos, but it is far from beaten. If anything, it has become more dangerous now that a more warlike regime has taken over the reins. The warlord fears his own dominions will come under siege if his father and older brothers don't manage to keep the behemoth in check. To make matters more complicated he isn't convinced the settlement of the Renuvian Plains is going all that well. In the Highlands the proud nobility starts plotting to regain its independence. And, as always, there is the love of Anaxantis's life, Ehandar. Meanwhile strife breaks loose between the independent city states of Rhonoma and Naodyma. In the latter city, Lexyntas still has a difficult time adapting to being Thenoclon's slave in a household where dark secrets weigh on both masters and servants. In Rhonoma, Yorn falls more and more under the beguiling influence and nonchalant charms of his adopted cousin, Antybion. Concerned about the vulnerabilities of his dominions, and amidst the intrigues of his family and the nobles of the Highlands of Great Renuvia, Anaxantis starts looking for allies. Should he return to the fold and join forces with his father?

Anaxantis, prince of Ximerion. The threat of the barbarian invasion by the wild Mukthar tribes has been averted, and Anaxantis is starting to colonize the Renuvian Plains. There still remains a lot to be done — and that goes double for his private life. Meanwhile in the independent city state of Naodyma a young man, Lexyntas, sells himself into slavery to provide for his younger siblings. Another one, Antybion, seeks the hospitality of rich relatives in Rhonoma. Arranulf still pines after Hemarchidas. Then disturbing news reaches Anaxantis. His father, the high king of Ximerion, is marching almost half of his troops toward the capital, Ormidon, to be decommissioned. Is he really disbanding them, notwithstanding the threat in the South? Or is it just a pretext to move them nearer to the territory of his rebellious lord governor and son, Anaxantis? The warlord suddenly finds himself in need of hard intelligence, and it's not that easy to come by…

Anaxantis, Prince of Ximerion… In the aftermath of the fall of their city, the fortunes of several Naodymans are turned upside down. If the insurrection of Trachia against the Lorsanthian occupation is to succeed, Prince Phrademys needs to be its focal point. However, he first wants to find out what happened to Thenoclon. There is hope he may still be alive, since Commander-General Meri is selling off the entire Naodyman population into slavery. Antybion has concluded his mission with success, but before he can be offered a new challenge, an unexpected death occurs. While the Rhonoman general, Hirmon Marradar, confidently continues his march to meet Lorsanthia’s largest army yet, Anaxantis seems to tarry and steer his small force away from all possible confrontations with a far stronger enemy. That is, until he explains his plans to his officers. In the Highlands of Great Renuvia the patience of the hardliners of the Mahpodah is running out. While Lady Brynda tries to play for time, several of the rebel lords entertain their own ambitions. Even some of Ehandar’s squires are involved in this dangerous game. But Count Cynbenor will have none of it and he means to force a decision. For the Highlands to be free again, Anaxantis must never return home, in his opinion. If the warlord doesn’t fall in battle, he and his brother, must be killed. Ehandar is unaware of how dangerous the situation has become. He learns that some of his squires are involved, and as a result he is about to sink into a depression. Once again he feels he is at the mercy of circumstances he can’t control, and his old demons resurface. When a mortally wounded squire tells him Anaxantis’s life is in danger, he snaps out of his morose mood…

Anaxantis, Prince of Ximerion… Defying his father, ignoring his mother and leaving his brother in charge, Anaxantis and his small but well-trained army have crossed the borders of Great Renuvia. His aim is to keep all aggressors — his own family foremost among them — far from the Highlands he has come to regard as his home. Easier said than done, since among the warring parties, his forces are the weakest. Yorn still pines after the enigmatic Antybion, whose good fortune turns against him when Commander-General Meri sends him on a suicide mission at the head of two companies of convicted criminals who are as likely to murder him as follow him. The slave Lexyntas has his own problems now that his master, Thenoclon, has decided to treat him as an equal. The boundaries between respect, friendship and love are becoming very hazy indeed. In Tyleme, the capital of Lorsanthia, Lorcko and Timishi are still debating what to do — if anything — about the war fleet that is being prepared by Prince-Regent Maurch, when they meet a mysterious group of young men who call themselves the Elder Brothers. Timishi has his doubts that Faurian, the gentle history student, is as innocent as he appears to be. Mordauch is still chasing the last Trachian loyalists in hopes of catching and killing the last prince of the Royal House of Ynnocas. Events turn into a maelstrom when the war between Rhonoma and Naodyma comes to a head and most of the principal actors — the undercover prince of Trachia included — converge on the same region. Meanwhile, Anaxantis invades Lorsanthia at the head of his small army…