The Warplands

Witches, fairies, deranged outcast cultists--and only the Archons know what else--roam the Warplands. Nothing wholesome survives in those accursed stains on creation.

Else Whitmore of Gulvin, the charming daughter of a merchant, and her shy younger brother, Denin, are among the least equipped to escape such a hostile place. But when a mad magician confronts their caravan on the road, Else and Denin are wrenched from their comfortable lives and forced to try.

Fortunately for the siblings, they possess hidden reserves nobody would expect. Unfortunately, the deadly Warplands are only the beginning of their problems. Else must decide whether an unholy warrior can be trusted. Denin must confront a disturbing truth about himself that could make returning home more dangerous than the Warplands.

Their struggles place them at the center of a clash of cultures that will not only imperil their lives and souls but will shake the foundation of the entire Simonian Empire.