The Element Of Fire

The Element of Fire was first published in the US by Tor Books in 1993, and has been published in six languages. This edition has been revised by the author.
The kingdom of Ile-Rien is in peril, menaced by magical threats and court intrigue. As the weak King Roland, misled by treacherous companions, rules the country, only his ruthless mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna, truly guards the safety of the realm. But now Urbain Grandier, the dark master of scientific sorcery, has arrived to plot against the throne and Kade, bastard sister of the king, has appeared unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true goals are cloaked in mystery. Is she in league with the wizard Grandier? Or is she laying claim to the throne? It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard and Ravenna's former lover, to sort out who is friend, who is foe in a deadly game to keep the Dowager Queen and the kingdom she loves from harm.
Young king Roland sits uneasy upon the throne of Ile-Rein, surrounded by nobles who would use human sorcery to hasten his downfall. With duels and dungeons, palace coups and magical battles aplenty, this fantasy has all the panache, style, and atmosphere of the classic adventure sagas of yesteryear.