The Keepers of Sulbreth »

Susan Gourley is a novelist, a teacher, and a coach. She lives in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

In this magical, medieval fantasy, forces must combine to save the kingdom of Futhark from the evil abyss that threatens it. Sitting within this land and high above an unexplored sea is Sulbreth, the seat from which the Otten family has always ruled. Standing next to their throne are the Keepers, gifted sorcerers who hide a guarded truth only the king understands. When Prince Jonared takes the throne, he also inherits a tragic and dark shadow ready to befall his land. He and the Keepers summon Sabelline Shelton, a rare sorceress gifted in metallurgy, for a duty she has always feared. But even her exceptional talents are not enough to forestall the soulless enemy issuing forth from the dark places of Futhark. When Cage Stone enters Sulbreth in a tournament to secure his sister’s future, he too is called by a prophetic destiny to help fight the otherworldly foes and renew the seals that protect their kingdom.

Publishers Weekly

Readers who persevere past the uninspiring beginning of this romantic fantasy will be rewarded with an above-average tale that includes some interesting questions about destiny and free will. The isolated island of Futhark is elevated high above the sea, guarded by magic-using Keepers and their armed Marshals. Cage Stone, an elven half-breed bastard, travels to the king’s city of Sulbreth to compete in a tournament to secure his adopted family’s future. Highly skilled, Cage soon becomes a Marshal in the service of Keeper Sabelline and accompanies her on a journey to reseal the kingdom’s magical gate against a plague of monsters. The tight focus on the main characters glosses over the common folks’ perception of the events, but there’s plenty of action and philosophy to keep the pages turning. (Jan.)