The Reign of the Departed
The High and Faraway, Book One
1st Edition
Published on 19. June 2018
272 pages
978-1-59780-627-5 (ISBN)
Description
A young man looking for death finds purpose in a world beyond our own in this sweeping fantasy from Greg Keyes (The Briar King, Newton's Cannon).
Errol Greyson hadn't intended to commit suicide. Or so he told himself. But waking up after his "cry for help" in the body of a wood-and-metal construct magically animated by Aster?the strange girl from school?was not a result he could have imagined.
Aster's wild explanations of a quest to find the water of health that would cure her father seemed as unreal as her description of Errol's own half-dead existence, his consciousness stuck in an enchanted automaton while his real body was in a coma from which it might never wake. And of course, they would need to recruit a girl?a virgin, no less?who had been dead for thirty years, to lead them through something called the Pale, beyond which a bunch of magical kingdoms existed. Plus, the threat that Aster could turn him off like a light switch, sending him into a hellish oblivion, was a convincing incentive to cooperate.
It all seemed quite mad: Either Aster was nuts, or Errol was hallucinating. But if it meant a new chance at life, he reckoned it was worth playing along.
Errol Greyson hadn't intended to commit suicide. Or so he told himself. But waking up after his "cry for help" in the body of a wood-and-metal construct magically animated by Aster?the strange girl from school?was not a result he could have imagined.
Aster's wild explanations of a quest to find the water of health that would cure her father seemed as unreal as her description of Errol's own half-dead existence, his consciousness stuck in an enchanted automaton while his real body was in a coma from which it might never wake. And of course, they would need to recruit a girl?a virgin, no less?who had been dead for thirty years, to lead them through something called the Pale, beyond which a bunch of magical kingdoms existed. Plus, the threat that Aster could turn him off like a light switch, sending him into a hellish oblivion, was a convincing incentive to cooperate.
It all seemed quite mad: Either Aster was nuts, or Errol was hallucinating. But if it meant a new chance at life, he reckoned it was worth playing along.
Reviews / Votes
"Greg Keyes has always been both a skilled storyteller and fine writer of exciting tales. I plan to get my pre-order in early."-New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks"Keyes is a master of world building and of quirky characters who grow into their relationships in unexpected ways. Fans of his Age of Unreason and his Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone fantasy series will want to get in on the ground floor of the High and Faraway series."-Booklist
"I liked a lot of what Keyes was doing in the novel, in terms of the story itself, the characters, and laying the groundwork for a multi-book narrative. The world where Errol awakens in his new body has a lived-in feel, a world with history and mythology of its own. . . . the story reminded me of Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars."-SFFWorld
"Starts in the realm of normalcy and quickly descends into the favorably bizarre and surprising. . . there was not one character that was uninteresting. The world building is epic. A magical realm that mirrors earth while residing under a curse was not only inventive but enthralling."-Koeur's Book Reviews, 4.4/5 Stars
"A solid choice for any fantasy fanatic."-Orange County Public Library, August Book Selections "Greg Keyes has always been both a skilled storyteller and fine writer of exciting tales. I plan to get my pre-order in early."-New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks
"Keyes is a master of world building and of quirky characters who grow into their relationships in unexpected ways. Fans of his Age of Unreason and his Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone fantasy series will want to get in on the ground floor of the High and Faraway series."-Booklist
"I liked a lot of what Keyes was doing in the novel, in terms of the story itself, the characters, and laying the groundwork for a multi-book narrative. The world where Errol awakens in his new body has a lived-in feel, a world with history and mythology of its own. . . . the story reminded me of Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars."-SFFWorld
"Starts in the realm of normalcy and quickly descends into the favorably bizarre and surprising. . . there was not one character that was uninteresting. The world building is epic. A magical realm that mirrors earth while residing under a curse was not only inventive but enthralling."-Koeur's Book Reviews, 4.4/5 Stars
"A solid choice for any fantasy fanatic."-Orange County Public Library, August Book Selections
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
OR
United States
File size
1,19 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-59780-627-5 (9781597806275)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
06/2018
Night Shade Books
€14.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Greg Keyes has written numerous books and short stories since his debut novel The Waterborn was published in 1996, including The Age of Unreason and The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series. He lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife Nell, children John Edward Arch and Dorothy Nellah Joyce, and far too many pets.
Content
- Intro
- Praise for Greg Keyes
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Prologue
- Part One - Waking
- Chapter One - Mostly Dead
- Chapter Two - The Elf-Whisperer
- Chapter Three - Actually Dead
- Chapter Four - Daddy
- Chapter Five - The Creek Man and The Sheriff
- Chapter Six - The Virgin Ghost
- Chapter Seven - Bed or Coffin
- Part Two - Out From The Ghost Country
- Chapter One - Delia
- Chapter Two - Doctor Shecky
- Chapter Three - Obsession
- Chapter Four - Child's Play
- Chapter Five - The Snatchwitch
- Chapter Six - Saturday Night
- Chapter Seven - Sunday
- Part Three - Out From The March
- Chapter One - The Water Gets Deep
- Chapter Two - If I Were Alive
- Chapter Three - Bad Boys
- Chapter Four - To War
- Chapter Five - Hidden
- Chapter Six - A Rainbow and A Hollow Sea
- Chapter Seven - Sky and Earth
- Chapter Eight - The Kiss
- Chapter Nine - Like A Girl With No Heartbeat
- Part Four - Beyond and Beyond
- Chapter One - Two Stars
- Chapter Two - They Went into Things
- Chapter Three - A Giant Mistake
- Chapter Four - The Water of Health
- Chapter Five - The Trouble That Came
- Chapter Six - The Reign of the Departed
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
