The Demon King (The Seven Realms Series, Book 1) - Hardcover

Chima, Cinda Williams

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007342764 ISBN 13: 9780007342761

Publisher: Harper Voyager, 2010

Synopsis

The first book in an epic fantasy series from debut author Cinda Williams Chima. Adventure, magic, war and ambition conspire to throw together an unlikely group of companions in a struggle to save their world.

When 16-year-old Han Alister and his Clan friend Dancer encounter three underage wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea, he has no idea that this event will precipitate a cascade of disasters that will threaten everything he cares about.

Han takes an amulet from one of the wizards, Micah Bayar, to prevent him from using it against them. Only later does he learn that it has an evil history-it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. And the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna, the heir to the Gray Wolf throne of the Fells, has just spent three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai Camp-riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Now court life in Fellsmarch pinches like a pair of too-small shoes.
Wars are raging to the south, and threaten to spread into the high country. After a long period of quiet, the power of the Wizard Council is once again growing. The people of the Fells are starving and close to rebellion. Now more than ever, there's a need for a strong queen.

But Raisa's mother Queen Marianna is weak and distracted by the handsome Gavan Bayar, High Wizard of the Fells. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. With the help of her friend, the cadet Amon Byrne, she navigates the treacherous Gray Wolf Court, hoping she can unravel the conspiracy coalescing around her before it's too late.

About this title

Review:

Praise for The Demon King:
‘The Demon King is a page-turner for any reader, regardless of age.’
Robin Hobb

‘Dozens of characters, complex and distinct in personality, are placed with jewel-like precision, set off by dark glints of villainy... [readers] will clamor for the sequel.’
Publishers Weekly

Praise for Cinda Williams Chima:

For The Dragon Heir:
Centuries of wizardly scheming, slavery and slaughter reap apocalyptic fallout in this final volume of Chima’s trilogy... Heroes and villains alike are swayed by achingly human motivations into disastrous choices with devastating consequences...The resolution is—like the end of childhood itself—tentatively hopeful, if not triumphant. A superlative accomplishment.
Kirkus.

From the Author:

1. What was the inspiration for your novel?
When I was in college, I took a English literature tour to the UK that was transformational. I am still growing ideas in that garden. I’ve long been a reader of fantasy of all sorts, and The Demon King series has allowed me to indulge my love of high fantasy. I created the world of the Seven Realms for an epic fantasy trilogy I began a few years ago but never finished. I already had a magical system, a political system, a tragic history, and even a map! I loved living in that world, so I chose out some characters from that series and began to write The Demon King. It’s really a prequel to the action in the unfinished series. Which goes to prove that nothing is really wasted.

2. When did you start writing and how long did it take you?
People ask my husband when I write, and he says, “All the time.” I am relentless—I have to keep writing in order to find out what happens! So far, I’ve been able to write a book a year. It’s easier now I’ve left my day job, but other elements of the writing life are crowding in.

3. What was your writing schedule?
Morning is my best writing time. Ideally, I write all morning, and then do business after lunch. I come back to my writing when the business is done. I don’t watch television much—not because I disapprove but because it’s been crowded out.

4. Is writing an enjoyable experience for you?
I always tell would-be writers: don’t do it unless you love the process of creating story. If you’re doing it only for the money it will break your heart, because there is so much you can’t control.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0007342764
• ISBN 13: 9780007342761
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400