Icefalcon's Quest (Darwath Series #5)

One man posed a threat to Vair's vaunting ambition: the legendary warrior known as the Icefalcon. Banished by his own people and scorned as a barbarian by others, only he could hope to free the boy from Vair's clutches. With his sister Cold Death--a sorcerer whose magic was as sharp as her tongue--the Icefalcon embarked on a dangerous mission of rescue and redemption that would force him to wage his greatest battle ... for his prince, for his honor, and for all eternity.

While chaos reigned in the Eastern Lands, the Keep of Dare stood as a bastion against war and bandits and the spawn of unnatural sorceries. Then twin blows rocked the citadel: the fearsome Alketch army mounted siege, even as young Prince Tir was snatched from the heart of the Keep. Behind the terror was the depraved, hook-handed general Vair na-Chandros. He had learned that the royal child possessed forbidden wisdom: a secret with which the bloodthirsty Vair intended to conquer the world.

One single man posed a threat to Vair's vaunting ambition: the legendary warrior known as the Icefalcon. Banished by his own people and scorned as a barbarian by others, only he could hope to free the boy from Vair's clutches. With his sister Cold Death—a sorcerer whose magic was as sharp as her tongue—the Icefalcon embarked on a dangerous mission of rescue and redemption.

Braving nightmare demons and the endless hordes of Vair's inhuman soldiers, he shadowed Vair and his small captive beyond the reaches of the known world. And when the boy led Vair to the forgotten Keep of the Shadow at the End of Time, the Icefalcon would face his greatest battle . . . for his prince, for his honor, and for all eternity.

Publishers Weekly

As glaciers creep southward, and bandits and sorcerous monstrosities roam the countryside, the Keep of Dare, a massive fortress built millennia ago, is the last defense for the inhabitants of the Vale of Renwath. In this follow-up to Hambly's Mother of Winter, the Dare survivors' last hope is to rediscover 3000-year-old magical technology. The Keep mages believe the key to that technology lies in the inherited memories of young Prince Tira belief that creates a dire situation when Tir is kidnapped by the insane Alketch general Vair na-Chandros and the Keep is besieged by the Alketch army. The task of rescuing Tir falls to the Icefalcon, Renwath guardsman and former "barbarian" White Raider. With the help of Cold Death, his sorcerer-sister, and Loses his Way, an ally from another White Raider tribe, the Icefalcon trails Vair and his undead army to the long-hidden Keep of the Shadow at the End of Time, where Vair plans to use Tir's ancestral memories to strike at the heart of the Keep of Dare. When Vair's corrupt magic rouses the ancient powers of the Keep of Shadow itself, however, the Icefalcon finds that there are even worse threats to deal with. Though the Icefalcon has been a minor character in previous Renwath novels, here his dry humor and insight into "civilized" culture hold center stage with ease. Hambly's latest is, as expected from this talented author, another fast-paced adventure with a finely textured setting, lively characters and some genuinely dark magic. (Feb.)

At various times in her life, Barbara Hambly has been a high-school teacher, a model, a waitress, a technical editor, a professional graduate student, an all-night clerk at a liquor store, and a karate instructor (she holds a Black Belt and competed in several national-level tournaments).

Born in San Diego, she grew up in southern California and attended U. C. Riverside, specializing in medieval history, and spending a year at the University of Bordeaux in the South of France; eventually she earned a masters degree in the subject. She now lives in Los Angeles, California.