Title: The Dragonkin Legacy: The Last War & Dragon Guardians
Author: Ian E.S. Adler
Publisher: Winds’ Home Press
ASIN: B0F2SD32D1
Pages: 776
Genre: Coming of Age Fantasy
Synopsis
Long ago, the continent of Cynnahu was shattered by a genocidal war between the native Dragonkin and invading human mages, leaving humanity victorious and the Dragonkin extinct. Now, millennia later, the descendants of those human conquerors face a newer yet still ancient enemy as a time dictated in Prophesy has arrived. A time when not one but five shall save – or fail to save – the Archipelago of Cynnahu in humanity’s Last War against the snake-folk of Nag Isle. A time when a Traveler, Orphan, Survivor, Student, and Lord will set sail to rediscover the secret of the Elder Song, the last magics of the Dragonkin.
They are Sakura, whose life is shattered when her entire family and home island are slaughtered; now orphaned and homeless, she seeks vengeance. Myrriden, the footsore mage and single father whose life is busy enough without a war. Emrys, Myrriden’s nervous son, who is certain he does not have what it takes to be a great mage like his dad. Volcan Darkrod, the enigmatic Fire Mage who’s past and powers are a mystery. And Archmage Hoth, the unflappable Leader of the Cynnahu folk who feels the weight of countless lives on his shoulders.
Guided by an ancient riddle recently uncovered by the famed Grey Owl Aneirin, this Team of Five must run a race of swords, spells, and dusty scrolls. But time is their greatest foe. Will the courage and wits of two eleven-year-olds and three vastly different mages be enough to free purposefully hidden secrets from forces predating human rule in Cynnahu to reunite the scattered Song while fighting a desperate war on land and sea? Only three things are certain: the past is not dead, where swords fail scrolls may prevail, and that humanity stands at the edge of extinction.
About the Author
I am Ian E.S. Adler, the son of librarians and a middle school librarian myself, I was born and bred in Cambridge Massachusetts (despite many people thinking I have a European accent). I got into Fantasy when my Dad read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to me and became perpetually hooked after reading Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series, and Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle. It is to Le Guin whom I owe my debut world of Cynnahu, for her Archipelago inspired me to create my own.
As I have been a Fantasy reader (and gamer) all my life, and a blogger since 2016 (see Stars Uncounted – Ian’s Fantasy Bookshelf), I know the common (and uncommon but still recognizable) tropes and tricks of the genre and so do my best in my own work to either move past them or give them a new coat of paint so as to make them fresh, enjoyable, and unpredictable. Cynnahu is an Archipelago because I noted while reading Earthsea that few other Fantasies feature them, and none in the way Ursula K. Le Guin did. I write Epic Fantasy, yes, but not with the Tolkienesque approach seeing as Middle-earth is perfect.
With an M.Ed and bachelor’s degree in History, my writing reflects an optimism regarding the human potential for peace and goodness despite of and acknowledging history’s grimmest, bloodiest moments. The pen is mightier the sword, but swords guided by pens have the power to win the world from the clenched fists of war. Notice the plural for swords and pens, as I avoid the by now over-used Chosen One archetype. Being Chosen is fine, but the One leaves little authorial room to maneuver.
Beyond writing, I am a Kung Fu Black Belt, Volunteer Gallery Guide at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, and enjoy making riddles and playing the ancient Chinese game Go. Oh, and watching Scooby-Doo with my sister.
