Eyes Of The Keep

Legacy Of The Ten #1

by Scott D. Muller

The demons have returned and are ravaging the countryside. The realms appear to be under siege by unknown forces, and the Kings have dispatched armies to march in their defense. The powerful wizards of the Keep are oblivious, and remain in their Keep with their noses buried in their studies. Once, the wizards of the Havenhold Keep ruled the world and were considered gods, now, they are irrelevant and forgotten. Ja'tar, the Keeper of the wizards, is confused. Events lead him to believe, for the first time in centuries, that all is not right and that it may be time for the wizards to re-enter society. His friend Zedd'aki, the only other surviving mage from the days of yore, cautions him against rash action, while Dra'kor and his followers, long for adventure and are willing to risk all to have it.

The great mage wars had culminated with an epic battle at Ror, a distant province in the land of the Torren, where the last Dark Magi were finally conquered, abet at the cost of tens of thousands of wizards. The battle was waged for centuries, destroying vast swatches of land, leveling cities and destroying their advanced culture. Fearing future insurrections, the last of the magic races formed a Guild: an all powerful collection of autonomous members, who rule, guide and strictly enforce the Articles of Tofar, a pact that outlines permissible magic use in the Realms.

For over sixteen hundred years, the wizards of the Keep have followed the Guild's rules to the letter. They remained secluded, didn't dabble in politics and never performed magic in public. They withdrew from the world and occupied themselves solely with their studies, in part, out of fear of the Zola'far, the Guild's nameless assassins. They trusted in the wisdom of the elders; that if they followed the law, they would never again be forced to fight their brethren. Perhaps they had erred. Mayhap those dark times had returned.

Genres: Fantasy, Demons

554 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2011

About the author

Scott lives in Colorado with his lovely wife and two children. A true renaissance man, he is an accomplished artist, mountaineer, snowboarder, home brewer and persnickety wine snob. He moved to heaven (a.k.a. Colorado) in the early 1980s from Michigan and has never looked back, although he misses the colors in the fall and being on a sailboat on a 'real' lake in the summer. His free time is currently occupied teaching his kids how to ride two wheelers, and how to fish. This year, he will brave the world of tent camping and force his kids to rough it, bugs, dirt, and all. He is an overachiever, has three engineering degrees including a master's degree from Colorado School of Mines, and as a self-professed curmudgeon, criticizes code that software engineers design--in other words, he breaks things for a living. He has always enjoyed storytelling and writing. He hopes to escape cubeville before donuts become illegal, or he becomes an old fogey. Please help him.

Reviews

[Carly Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi y'all Anne here I have had the immense pleasure to get to read Eyes Of The Keep by Scott Muller. This book is an amazing fantasy adventure to read. The story line is original and well plotted out with great detail, characters that grow on you, and creatures that will scare you. I really liked this book, the story is one of a kind from page one you know your going to go on a trip you won't soon forget. The authors tells a tale of realms of the world with mages, watchers, witches, demons and so much more, the plot is consistent through out the whole book the main characters have an objective and that is the base of the book. Meanwhile there are smaller stories unfolding in the back ground leaving room for lots more amazing stories. I loved the characters they all have this aged tough exterior but as the story unfolds you see that each mage has a past that has forced them to put up barriers and keep their feelings under wraps. The most unlikely of trios is picked to do what no others have done since the last great war they leave the protection of the Keep to seek out the source of great power that is roaming the realms. This book is so detailed even in an explosion that ends a life, the how and why and what after it was done is laid out there for you. The creatures are as original as the story I've never heard of anything like them and they are described to the point where you can smell the rot of their breath and feel panic of the people when the howls spread through the forest. The creatures of nightmares can only belong to the most powerful of evils, can the trio survive? Can the realms be repaired? Will all the lost people be found? I haven't read a fantasy of this magnitude since I picked up Lord Of The Rings. I highly recommend this book to any fantasy lover! It's captivating and draws you in to the world of the mages of The Keep. I can't wait to read the next book there was such a cliff hanger at the end I almost fell off the chair I was in.. How could it be left like that well because there is so much more story to tell and I can't wait for the next piece to be put into place. I give Eyes Of The Keep 5 out of 5 stars and amazing fantasy to read and escape into.

[W.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC for Review ~ Outstanding!! I really love the storyline of this book.. Three unlikely Magi embark on a journey to check out the Realms. When they come face to face with entities they have only studied about, it opens their eyes to factors they know nothing of! This book is truely an Epic and Dark Fantasy.
There is so much detail that you can literally see their walk and what lies in front of them.....

I recommend this book for anyone YA and up! Absolutely An Unique and Fresh Read.

Cliff hanger OMGosh! I cant wait to read Book #2 ~ The Third Sign!

5 out of 5 Hearts
Lovetiggi's Book Reviews

[Jenny Lighthart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book, I am enjoying it. good job Scott.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea and excellent worldbuilding, lost in overwriting. An editor and proofreader would really help here. If the book is updated, I'll try it again. Otherwise—