The Briar King

《The Briar King》是一部充滿冒險與奇幻元素的小說，故事背景設定在人類從奴役中獲得自由兩千年後。隨著傳說中的荊棘之王甦醒，王國再次陷入危機。獵人、少女、神職人員、冒險者與新任騎士等來自不同背景的人物，因各自的命運而捲入一連串動盪事件。皇室的小女兒安妮也逐漸發現，自己可能與整個世界的未來有關。本書角色鮮明、情節緊湊，是一部適合奇幻小說愛好者閱讀的作品，帶領讀者進入一段關於勇氣、選擇與命運的旅程。

“A wonderful tale . . . It crackles with suspense and excitement from start to finish.”—Terry Brooks

Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creatures roam the land—and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The king’s woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight—all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber. At the heart of this many-layered tale is Anne Dare, youngest daughter of the royal family . . . upon whom the fate of her world may depend.

Praise for The Briar King

“Starts off with a bang, spinning a snare of terse imagery and compelling characters that grips tightly and never lets up. . . . A graceful, artful tale from a master storyteller.”—Elizabeth Haydon, bestselling author of Prophecy: Child of Earth

“The characters in The Briar King absolutely brim with life. . . . Keyes hooked me from the first page,and I’ll now be eagerly anticipating sitting down with each future volume of the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series.”—Charles de Lint, award-winning author of Forests of the Heartand The Onion Girl

“A thrill ride to the end, with plenty of treachery, revelation, and even a few bombshell surprises.”—Monroe News-Star (LA)

Greg Keyes was born in Meridian, Mississippi, to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of the Age of Unreason tetrology and The Charnel Prince (Book II in The Kingdoms of Blood and Stone) as well as The Waterborn, The Blackgod, and the Star Wars New Jedi Order novels—Edge of Victory I: Conquest and Edge of Victory II: Rebirth. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.