A Spell Takes Root

It was supposed to be a simple adventure: Rescue the princess. Slay her captors. Grab the loot. THE END. 



She was never supposed to start a war. And he was never supposed to fall in love.

 

Everybody underestimates a barbarian.

 

But that suits Khyte of Hwarn just fine. Better that his companions, co-conspirators, and partners in crime take him for a muscle-bound oaf instead of the warrior-poet he aspires to be. Brainy heads tend to lose their necks, and Khyte wants to keep his at all costs—at least long enough to enjoy the loot from his latest adventure.

 

So when an old goblin friend tricks him into rescuing a dryad princess, Khyte assumes he’s being brought along to play his usual roles: thief, assassin, and pure dumb muscle. But as soon as he lays eyes on the lovely Princess Inglefras, he succumbs to her seductive spell—and realizes that this adventure will be far more than a simple rescue.

 

Bewitched by love, bedeviled by his conscience, and betrayed by his friends at every turn, Khyte finds himself fighting not only to bring his new love to safety, but to keep his head on his shoulders. Can our barbarian-turned-hero survive this deadly game of swords, hearts, and interplanar politics? Or will Khyte become a mere pawn in a game he cannot possibly perceive—a sacrifice in service of a goal he could never understand?



A Spell Takes Root is the first novel in the Tree of Five Worlds series.