The Summoner (Chronicles of the Necromancer Series #1) »

Gail Martin has worked with non-profit and for-profit organizations in many industries. She is an adjunct professor for UNC Charlotte and a part-time instructor for Central Piedmont Community College who teaches public speaking, continuing education (marketing topics) and public relations writing. She is an award winning writer with articles and stories published throughout the US.

The comfortable world of Martris Drayke, second son of King Bricen of Margolan, is shattered when his older half-brother, Jared, and Jared¿s dark mage, Foor Arontala, kill the king and seize the throne. Tris is the only surviving member of the royal family aside from Jared the traitor. Tris flees with three friends: Soterius, captain of the guard; Carroway, the court¿s master bard; and Harrtuck, a member of the royal guard. Tris harbors a deep secret. In a land where spirits walk openly and influence the affairs of the living, he suspects he may be the mage heir to the power of his grandmother, Bava K¿aa, once the greatest sorceress of her age. Such magic would make Tris a Summoner, the rarest of magic gifts, capable of arbitrating between the living and the dead.

Jackie Cassada - Library Journal

When Prince Martris Drayke's older brother, Jared, decides to preempt his inheritance by murdering their father and seizing the throne, Martris and a few companions flee to a place of safety where they hope to restore justice to the kingdom. Despite his efforts, he finds few among the living who are willing to stand beside him, so he turns to another group he trusts to aid him: the spirits of the dead. Martin's first novel, a series opener, presents a beleaguered hero with a unique gift of communicating with the dead. One of the key launch novels for the Solaris imprint of BL Publishing, this fantasy adventure belongs in most libraries.