A Song of Swords

Legends of Agora #3

by Michael James Ploof

Book #3 of the Amazon Best-selling epic fantasy series Whill of Agora (Legends of Agora)

"Michael Ploof is one of the indie good guys. Don't be surprised if he is soon swooped up by one publisher or another. Whill of Agora is a fine example of why I think so." - Award Winning Fantasy Author, M. R. Mathias

Influenced by the works of Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, R. A.Salvator and Tolkien, Whill of Agora is a classic coming of age fantasy tale of magic, mayhem, friendship and war. Set in the realm of Agora during the Draggard Wars, five centuries after the fall of the elven lands, Whill of Agora brings readers on a heart pounding epic adventure with a colorful cast of characters that are sure to become fan favorites.



Upon the frozen fields of Volnoss a strange rift has appeared. Eadon's legions have gathered; the final invasion of Agora draws near.
Bound by his vow of fealty, Dirk Blackthorn finds himself at Eadon's side. His first mission; kill the entire royal family of Eldalon, leave none of Whill's kin alive.
Deep within the heart of the Mountains Ro'Sar, King Roakore prepares to travel to Elladrindellia and reunite the boy Tarren with Whill. He hopes also to have the ancient dwarven tome, The Book of Ky'Dren, translated. And he trusts none but Whill to do it.
Aurora prepares to face the self-proclaimed Chief of the Seven, Icethorn of Dragon Tribe. She no longer feels Eadon's power coursing through her; she begins to dare hope that she is free of the dark elf. But a pledge of fealty to Eadon is not made lightly.
Avriel remains trapped within the body of the white dragon. Neither the elder elves nor Whill with his great power can find a way to return her to her body. With the racial memories of her dragon line clear in her mind, she begins to lose hold of her elven self.
Whill has found the ancient elven blade of legend, Adromida. Finally he has made it to Elladrindellia, and his training with the elves has begun. Although he is safe for the time being from the reach of Eadon, a new threat arises that may prove his greatest challenge yet. He soon realizes that his greatest enemy may not be the dark elf lord, but he himself.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Epic Fantasy, Ebooks

524 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2013

About the author

I spent my youth in the land of make believe. School was a bore, and growing up in the "Boonies" without cable television forced me to use my imagination. If I wasn't holed up in my bedroom playing with my vast collection of action figures, I could be found in the forest with a wooden sword or staff in hand, battling the forces of evil. As an 80's kid, I was raised on a healthy diet of movies like Star Wars, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Goonies, and endless other classic (but strange) movies.

As a reader, I enjoy books that take off right out of the gate, sweep me off my feet, and whisk me away on an epic adventure. As an author, I try to create books that do the same for my readers. I write fantasy, and I suppose that I still live in a land of make believe, except now I get to share the adventure with others.

I hope that you will join me on my next adventure, and together we can escape reality, if only for a time.

Yours in Magic,

Michael James Ploof

Join the mailing list at www.whillofagor(dot)com.

Books by Michael James Ploof

Epic Fallacy

Book #1: Champions of the Dragon

Book #2: Beyond the Wide Wall

Book #3: The Legend of Drak' Noir

Book #4: The Mother of Zuul

LEGENDS OF AGORA

Book #1: Whill of Agora

Book #2: A Quest of Kings

Book #3: A Song of Swords

Book #4: A Crown of war

Book #5: Kingdoms in Chaos

Book #6: Champions of the Gods

Book #7: The Mantle of Darkness

Book #8: Dark Echoes of Light

Book #9: The Warcrown Legacy

THE WINDWALKER ARCHIVE

Book #1: Talon

Book #2: Sea Queen

Book #3: Exodus

BLACKTHORN

Book #1: Blackthorn Rising

THE ORION REZNER CHRONICLES

Book #1: Afterworld

The Dragon Throne War

Book #1: A Dream of Fire

Doomsday Sheriff

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Dragon Rider Academy

Episode #1: Ascension

Episode #2: Transcendence

Episode #3: Initiate

Episode #4: Dragon Heart

Episode #5: Accursed

THE SOCK GNOME CHRONICLES

Book #1: Billy Coatbutton and the Wheel of Destiny

Book #2: Billy Coatbutton and the ring of Sockchild

Harem books written as Mike Ploof

Rebirth online

Rebirth Online #1

Rebirth Online #2

Rebirth Online #3

Rebirth Online #4

Rebirth Online #5

Rebirth Online #6

Monster World

Monster World #1

Monster World #2

Warwick

Episode #1: Galactic Arena

Episode #2: Galactic Fugitives

Episode #3: Galactic Vengeance

litRPG Published By Aethon Books

Arcane Veterinarian Book 1 - August 6, 2024

Arcane Veterinarian Book 2 - Fall 2024

The Family Jewels Book 1 - Coming Soon

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely have mixed feeling about this series. On the one hand, I like the plot and the characters. I like the varied story lines, and watching various characters make life- changing decisions-whether aware of the consequences or not. I appreciate that Whill is having to deal with the mental consequences of 6 months of unbelievable torture. The whole "other" thing is getting a little old though-I am ready for him to deal with that and quit dwelling on it. Again, the approximately 40 million battle descriptions were a little boring after 20 million or so and I can live without the flatulence "humor".

[alice Tileston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recieved free for review:
Fell in love with this series soon into book 1.
I can't read fast enough, want to read everything by this author.
Characters and settings made me feel like I was right there with them!♡

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book... I never really invested in the side/minor characters like Dirk or Tarren and find that books 2 and 3 spend more and more chapters with their POV. I found myself starting to skim those chapters while the chapters still concerning Whill had my full attention.

I never really enjoyed a book that wasn't mainly focused on the main character. Some people like a Game of Thrones style plot where there are like 7 different settings/plots/main characters and out of a 40 chapter book each main character only takes up like 6 chapters of book time.

spoiler: After reading the book I'm hoping Whill will combine with Other. Both share traits that the other needs. Whill needs to be more practical while Other needs to become less. Other tends not to think things through while Whill tends to sometimes think weeks/months ahead which causes indecision. As the books progressed, Whill became more and more passive when his fighting/Other persona took over for fights and pain etc. Other has become simple... more animalistic in that his decisions are more like instincts rather than complicated thought. What is, is what is. Just like when an animal is scared or in pain, its decision is simple, if it attacks the threat, the pain/fear will go away. Whill on the other hand has been molded more by his education and experiences growing up. How to act, how to respond, what people believe is good and bad etc.

I say this because while the author at the end I think was trying to write Other as doing bad things in the name of good, it came out more like being practical to me. Other made a decision between regular fighting and losing a lot or all of his allies vs widespread destruction magic saving all his allies lives. The end result was the same either way... destroy the enemy, only the Others way saved his allies lives. He is a bit too practical though and needs the balance of Whills moral high ground.

The elves of the sun fell pretty much because they stood on a moral high ground and all their rules that left them weak. It makes me think of during the Revolutionary War where the English would stand in firing lines in the middle of a field trying to shoot the Americans who hid in the forests or spread out. The English got mowed down because they believed you were supposed to fight enemies by standing in a firing line facing each other. In truth, war is nothing more than killing the other guy any way you can while trying to stay alive.

Until Whill starts torturing people for his enjoyment, messing with souls, attempting to create new sentient life, enslaving people, or killing innocents, I won't consider what he's doing wrong or evil, just practical... Perhaps I've been reading too many assassin books. :p

[Richie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and anxious for book 4 to come out. Keep up the great work!

[Antoine Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't fathom how some people give this book 5 stars.

I am not even upset about the whole setup or writing style, no...
But frankly, you have whole armies, led by supposedly smart guys, even elves who are, in some respects, almost 1000 years old and they behave utterly stupidly...
I don't mind people in a book making bad decisions when the rationale is sound, but in this respect, the rationale is not sound.

Doesn't make me want to read book 4. I think I am done with the Land of Agora.

The only protagonist I actually care for is the assassin... the elves behave stupidly, the dwarves are only able to fight, have intercourse, drink, eat and make fart jokes of a below sophomoric level...

One cliche after another.

[ShooF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again a fairly solid 4* & to be fair it's only the fact that as a Fantasy reader, there's nothing new here & definitely it feels like Mr Ploof has tried to shoehorn all the plotlines from his favourite books.

[Gayreth Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book!

Book 3 is the continuing story of Whill and his companions to save their world from an evil that would destroy all they know and love. A really good book. I love the authors style of writing. It is epic storytelling.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a good read and it does keep you turning the pages. I think the characters could have been developed a bit more. A Good Read All and All!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgot how good this series is. Ploof is an excellent story teller.

[Tex Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 of 5 stars – Enjoyable Sword & Sorcery With Standard Good vs. Evil.
(I'm excited to have won this as part of a Goodreads Giveaway – so thanks, Michael!)

This was a nice adventure fantasy of good vs. evil, with some creative magic and world-building. While this is the first in the series that I’ve read, it’s okay as a standalone (in the sense that it didn’t take me long to catch up on what happened previously); but beware that the ending will leave you without a solid conclusion to take you into book 4.

Michael Ploof has a nice writing style, with decent descriptions of the action and surroundings that helped you picture it (yet, while I usually don’t comment about this, it did have quite a few typos and errors). The plot also flowed at a fairly fast pace, with a few storylines going to keep it interesting.

For me, it read like it was for YA readers, and indeed at the end I saw that it grew out of a story for his kids. I’m fine with that as far as keeping the language and violence PG, but also in this case it ended up not being as believable or interestingly gritty, nor as complicated in its plot and characters (e.g., the simplicity in strategizing for the battles, and the sword play being pretty straightforward without the good detail as some I’ve read). Thus, the characters and plot were fairly predictable and standard (entertaining, not much new or much depth), with basic black and white, good vs. evil, and little gray in between. I did find the characters likable, but I wasn’t fully invested in them.

Overall, I found it an easy, fun read; and probably best for those who are looking for a more basic, traditional type of sword and sorcery/hero fantasy.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again Michael has written a great story that has all the essentials of a great read. Again I found material in this story unlike any other story I have read. Many times I found myself laughing out loud and other times brining me to tears. One of the amazing things Michael has done is to incorporate philosophical truth in reference to real life in his story. The Elves live life the way life was meant to be lived, while the rest of the races live life on par with the way we live life today in consideration to socio-economics. It reminded me of the current on going movements with the Venus Project and Zeitgeist that is being professed to replace our current system as a way to solve most of our societies problems on a World scale. If only we could make such changes, one can only hope. Waiting to see the next book, hurry up Mr. Ploof!

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I previously reviewed, this is an impressive series with sensational characters, and a masterfully written story line that continues to deliver.
I have said it all before in my other reviews, but it's easy to say it again.
Whill continues to grow, and the Author does an outstanding job of describing the battle with himself.
There is also plenty of other action with Roakore, Avriel and her conflict at being trapped as a white dragon - will she survive? Or will she be trapped forever as a white dragon and possibly lose herself?
As always there is the masterful counter play to the good that is Eadon, and Michael Ploof seems able to write Evil so easily that at times I feel should be worried about him!! But Eadon is just awesome in this book, and seems unstoppable.
This is another great part in this series, and you will be wanting more afterwards, thankfully there is a Part 4!

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, this was a tough slog for me. Having read books 1 and 2, I was ready for more action and to see the plot move forward but this book didn't deliver. It spent way too much time inside Whill's head, thinking about his months of torture and what he should do. I literally skimmed a good half of this book because it was so boring. In my opinion, this part of the story is important, but it could have been addressed much more efficiently and combined with the action that occurred in book 4 to make a very good trilogy.

I personally enjoyed the side plots dealing with the minor characters because at least they were moving forward and giving me a reason to continue the series.

I have finished book 4 now and I do recommend the series as a whole. If you are reading this one, be assured that it gets better again in the next book.

[Shadow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it

Great book, full of action and magic and a wonderful story. however, annoyed at the length. the first book was a good sized 600 pager, the second Sat at 430, still a fair sized book that I don't mind paying full price for. This last installment is 328 pages... and certainly felt shorter. With that being my only real complaint, I'd highly recommend the series.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've lost a lot of interest in these books. It is decent, but Whill seems to have become the half-insane superpower wielding mage. The similarities to Robert Jordan are stark and glaring... I can appreciate inspiration from classics, but I felt like Ploof seized the worst parts of Rand's character and shaped them into Whill....

[Danny L Walling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better

Better than book two, but not as good as book one. I sure hope book four is as good as one. You gave Whill hope and love and a way he can save himself. I hope you did it in the next book. Good story line.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

would love to read the books before this but i still could piece together whats going on, which i did like it was a little songs of ice and fire but still had its own feel.

[Sam L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.... It got a little better there at the end.. I'm gonna start 4 but the thing is I've got 3 other books that I REALLY want to read. So I don't know if I'll finish the 4th

[MEG Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot

I was so excited to see books 3 and 4 were available, that I forgot

to leave my review. It won't happen again.
Megan I'm

[Coop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Story of Fantasy

This is a great fantasy novel of good, bad and internal struggle to live up to the expectations aced on ones life...... Great series and story