Jonathan Kaessner

Stronghold: the Annals of the Pyromachia (Volume 1) Jonathan Kaessner

?There is not a nation at war abroad that is not at war within.? In the marshes of the east, there dwell the Qarkilcha, a proud race of beasts who have maintained relative peace with the humans in the west. But in their hearts, they yearn to reclaim the lands that were once theirs. When a headstrong rebel stages a coup against their beneficent leader, he sows the seeds of an invasion. The humans are a divided people, where even a common enemy cannot cultivate unity. Cities fall, the legions crumble, and the Qarkilcha make their glorious march to victory. Only one city stands in their path: Pelladis, the greatest stronghold in the known world. Yet within the thick outer wall brews a conflict between two leaders: a pragmatic general and a mysterious knight without a name. As the drums of war draw near, the general seeks to discover the secret behind the knight and whether he will betray them when the fight reaches their threshold. Hope is fading and the reality of destruction is upon them. Who will deliver the people when the clouds of doom are overhead? Or is the fall of mankind all but assured? The first part of The Pyromachia saga, STRONGHOLD blends history and fantasy in a grandiose story of war, betrayal, loss and redemption. Beneath the great wall of Pelladis, the course of history shall be written with fire, steel and blood.