Weavers of War; Book Five of Winds of the Forelands

Weavers of War brings Winds of the Forelands to a powerful climax. After nine-hundred years of peace, war has again erupted between the magical Qirsi and their Eandi masters. After the failed Qirsi uprising nearly a millennium ago, the Eandi thought they could prevent another bloody conflict by making sure no Qirsi Weaver was born, a sorcerer powerful enough to wield many magics and worse, weave together others' magics into a fearsomely powerful weapon. But now a Weaver has come to power. For years he worked secretly, with assassins, spies, and traitors to create deep resentments and suspicions among the lords of the land. He has even divided his own people, for while all feel oppressed, even the Weaver's most loyal collaborators fear his anger and the bitter lash of his punishment when they disappoint him. In the chaos of a war which is sundering the land, only Grinsa, a humble fortuneteller, stands against the growing dark power of the Weaver's ever-advancing horde. But Grinsa has battled the Weaver once before and lost, barely avoiding a magical killing blow. With the fate of the Forelands resting on his shoulders, he must step into the breach again, facing the near certainty of his own death, and the loss of all he holds dear.

David B. Coe is the winner of the William L. Crawford Award for Best First Fantasy or Fantasy Series, awarded at the International Conference on the Fantastic, for Children of Amarid and The Outlanders, the first two novels of his LonTobyn Chronicle trilogy. His series Winds of the Forelands began with Rules of Ascension, and continued with Seeds of Betrayal, Bonds of Vengeance and Shapers of Darkness. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee.

"War and politics, love and magic, all drawn in detail against a vividly imagined feudal background. A complex and excellent book."
--David Drake, author of Lord of the Isles, on Rules of Ascension
 
“Turmoil and deception propel Coe's second entry in his Winds of the Forelands tetralogy, maintaining the momentum of its predecessor. The author deftly manages a multistrand plot full of political intrigue that never flags despite the wealth of engrossing detail. A large cast of characters both old and new enliven the sword and sorcery. Readers who go for good clean fantasy fun will eagerly await the next installment.�
  --Publishers Weekly on Seeds of Betrayal
 
“Coe writes a wonderfully complex and engrossing tale, but what truly made this book for me was the richness and depth of the beautifully crafted characters. A good plot makes for a great read, but interweave that plot with rich, complex characters and you have a splendid book - and this is a splendid book. There is absolutely nothing superficial about Coe's writing - it is strong, complex, and emotionally very, very powerful.�
--Sara Douglass, author of The Wayfarer Redemption, on Bonds of Vengeance
 
"One of the things that delights me most when reading fantasy is being shown new worlds--vivid, fascinating new places to explore, and find new adventures. In Rules of Ascension, David Coe gives us a world to remember, a world one can't help but want to know more about. I eagerly await other tales of the Forelands!"
--Ed Greenwood, author of The Band of Four saga