The Fortress of Glass is the first in the Crown of the Isles trilogy, which will conclude the epic Lord of the Isles series. A true trilogy, the action extends over the whole three-book arc. The Fortress of Glass begins the story of how the new kingdom of the Isles is finally brought into being by the group of heroes and heroines who have been central to all the books in the series. The group includes Prince Garric, heir to the throne of the Isles, his consort Liane, his sister Sharina, her herculean sweetheart Cashel, his sister Ilna, with her adopted child Merota and piratical Chalcus. On giant triremes filled with soldiers and diplomats, they journey to the small kingdoms of the Isles to confirm the succession of Garric and to subdue, if necessary, any local rulers too fond of their own kingship to pledge fealty to Garric. All this is being done in a time when the powers of magic in the Isles have flooded to a thousand-year peak, and even local magicians can perform powerful spells normally beyond their control. Fantastic forces from all angles try to keep them apart and unable to continue the reunification of the Isles. So separately and together, they must fight their way back to the same time and place to combat the mysterious and supernatural menace of The Green Woman in her Fortress of Glass. Lord of the Isles, Drake's grand fantasy saga set in an adapted classical Mediterranean world, takes on new dimensions in the opening volume of a new trilogy that will bring down the curtain on the whole shebang. In trying to bring all the isles under his rule, Prince Garris lands with a fleet in a kingdom whose wizard king has just died. Unfortunately, the monarch's death doesn't end the wizardry, and Garris is snatched away to fight a whole new set of battles in another universe, while his companions have to decide who shall rule in his absence. Wizardry is definitely on the march. Heck, the wizard-king even comes back to life and discovers the secret of levitation, and opposing his side are arrayed various monsters and the Green Woman, who travels about to do mischief from her citadel, the Fortress of Glass. Drake possesses every skill necessary to make this story thoroughly absorbing, even to new readers. Those who have sailed with him through the preceding two Isles trilogies ought to eagerly demand it. Roland Green Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Unlike most modern fantasy, David Drake's Lord of the Isles is an epic with the texture of the legends of yore, with rousing action and characters to cheer for." --Terry Goodkind on Lord of the Isles "Great, gritty realism on both material and magical planes, and Hell quite literally breaks loose on occasion. The audience for this kind of fantasy saga should prove large and ongoing, and for this volume, at least, it will be well deserved." -- Booklist on Master of the Cauldron "Drake's grasp of large-scale action, as well as small dramas, makes him a superb storyteller. The sixth addition to his "Lord of the Isles" series belongs in most fantasy collections." -- Library Journal on Master of the Cauldron "Drake writes this kind of fantasy adventure as well as anyone active in the field, and has a real gift for the intricacies of court intrigues." -- Chronicle on Master of the Cauldron DAVID DRAKE lives near Chapel Hill, North Carolina.   Fortress of Glass, The Chapter 1TENOCTRIS THE WIZARD stood in the prow of the royal flagship, staring intently at the sky. “Sharina,” she said, “we’re suddenly in a focus of enormous power. There’s something here. There’s something coming here.”Sharina glanced upward also. “Is it good or bad?” she asked, but the wizard was lost in contemplation.Cumulus clouds were piled over the island of First Atara on the northern horizon, but here above the Shepherd of the Isles there was only a high chalky haze. Whatever Tenoctris was looking at couldn’t be seen by an ordinary person like Sharina os-Reise.Sharina grinned: or, for that matter, seen by Princess Sharina of Haft. In preparation for meeting the ruler of First Atara, she was this afternoon wearing court robes—garments of silk brocade stiffened with embroidery in gold thread. They were hot and uncomfortable in most circumstances; here on shipboard they were awkward beyond words. The Shepherd had five oarbanks and was as big as a warship got, but the deck of her streamlined hull was no wider than necessary to allow sailors to trim the yards when the vessel was under sail.Sometimes Sharina wondered whether she’d feel more at ease in formal garments if she’d been raised wearing them. Liane bos-Benliman, her brother Garric’s noble fiancée, certainly wore hers with calm style. On the other hand, Liane did everything with style. If Liane hadn’t been such a good person and so obviously in love with Garric, even Sharina might’ve felt twinges of envy in thinking about her.Sharina and Garric had been raised by their father, the