Long recovered from the ravages of the Riftwar, the land and people of the kingdom of the Isles thrive. Nicholas, the youngest son of Prince Arutha, is intelligent and gifted but vastly inexperienced. In hopes of hardening him, his father sends him and his irreverent squire, Harry, to live at Rustic Castle Crydee to learn of life beyond the halls of privilege. But within weeks of Nicholas and Harry's arrival, Crydee is viciously attacked by unknown assailants, resulting in murder, massive destruction, and the abduction of two young noblewomen. The raiders have come from a pirate haven and are no ordinary foe ... but an enemy connected to dark magical forces that threaten the lands Nicholas will someday rule -- if he survives. "An  entertaining tale of high-seas adventure and exotic  fantasy." -- Locus . "A  superior rousing adventure." --   Publishers Weekly "Long recovered from the ravages of the Riftwar, the land and people of the kingdom of the Isles thrive. Nicholas, the youngest son of Prince Arutha, is intelligent and gifted but vastly inexperienced. In hopes of hardening him, his father sends him and his irreverent squire, Harry, to live at Rustic Castle Crydee to learn of life beyond the halls of privilege. But within weeks of Nicholas and Harry's arrival, Crydee is viciously attacked by unknown assailants, resulting in murder, massive destruction, and the abduction of two young noblewomen. The raiders have come from a pirate haven and are no ordinary foe ... but an enemy connected to dark magical forces that threaten the lands Nicholas will someday rule -- if he survives. "An entertaining tale of high-seas adventure and exotic fantasy." -- Locus . "A superior rousing adventure." -- Publishers Weekly Long recovered from the ravages of the Riftwar, the land and people of the kingdom of the Isles thrive. Nicholas, the youngest son of Prince Arutha, is intelligent and gifted but vastly inexperienced. In hopes of hardening him, his father sends him and his irreverent squire, Harry, to live at Rustic Castle Crydee to learn of life beyond the halls of privilege. But within weeks of Nicholas and Harry's arrival, Crydee is viciously attacked by unknown assailants, resulting in murder, massive destruction, and the abduction of two young noblewomen. The raiders have come from a pirate haven and are no ordinary foe ... but an enemy connected to dark magical forces that threaten the lands Nicholas will someday rule -- if he survives. Long recovered from the ravages of the Riftwar, the land and the people of the Kingdom of the Isles thrive on the bounty of good times. Nicholas, youngest son of Prince Arutha of Krondor is intelligent and gifted, but vastly inexperienced in worldly matters. In hopes of hardening him, his father sends him and his squire, Harry, to live at rustic Castle Crydee to learn of life beyond the halls of privilege. Thus begins the most harrowing experience of their young lives. Within weeks of Nicholas's arrival, Crydee is viciously attacked by assailants unknown. The result: murder, massive destruction, and the abduction of two young noblewomen, friends to the prince. And Crydee isn't the only town that's been hit - towns up and down the coast have suffered the same merciless devastation. From out of the wreckage two facts become clear. The raiders have come from the distant Sunset Islands, home to pirates of every stripe - and possibly even farther away than that. But more significant, these are no ordinary pirates: their mission is connected to dark magical forces that have threatened the Kingdom before. As brother to the future king, Nicholas feels compelled to follow the abductors and rescue those taken from Crydee - but the threat he ultimately faces is one that places the fate of all of his people in his inexperienced lands. Raymond E. Feist is the international bestselling author or co-author of twenty one novels, including Magician , Silverthorn , A Darkness at Sethanon , Faerie Tale , The Kings Buccaneer , Talon of the Silver Hawk , and King of Foxes . Feist is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and resides in Southern California with his family. He travels, collects wine, and lives and dies with the San Diego Chargers. 1 Decision The lookout pointed. "Boat dead ahead!" Amos Trask, Admiral of the Prince's fleet of the Kingdom Navy, shouted, "What?" The harbor pilot who stood beside the Admiral, guiding the Prince of Krondor's flagship, the Royal Dragon, toward the palace docks, shouted to his assistant at the bow, "Wave them off!" The assistant pilot, a sour-looking young man, shouted back, "They fly the royal ensign!" Amos Trask unceremoniously pushed past the pilot. Still a barrel-chested, bull-necked man at past sixty years of age, he hurried toward the bow with the sure step of a man who'd spent most of his life at sea. After sailing Prince Arutha's flagship in and out of Krondor for nearly twenty years, he could dock her blindfolded, but