Ironcrown Moon

Through strength, treachery, and an unbridled lust for power, King Conrig - formerly the prince of Cathra - has united the warring island of High Blenholme under his control. But the dominion he so long coveted may be fleeting. His enemies are always on watch. Conrig's illicit magical abilities are known by too many - and his children show the same penchant for sorcery, making them unfit for the throne. More foreboding is word that his first wife, Princess Maudrayne, thought long dead by her own hand, has been seen in her father's kingdom of Tarn - and with her, a son who may be Conrig's true heir. Then trouble comes as a thief in the night. The Trove of Darasilo - a collection of powerful moonstone sigils and the ancient texts that can unleash their devastation - vanishes from its secret crypt. If it falls into the wrong hands, Conrig's fate will be sealed. And the hands that hold it are almost certainly those of Prince Beynor of Moss, who would make any deal with anyone, even the most malevolent magical specter, to regain his lost realm. Conrig's only standing ally is his trusted childhood friend, Snudge, now elevated to the title of Sir Deveron Austrey. But even Snudge finds his loyalty being tested to its limits. For he knows Conrig's greatest weakness is his desire for conquest, and he suspects that if the king were to recover the lost Trove, he would not destroy it, as a truly good man would - but rather use it toward his own violent ends.