The Paladins are still short one of their number for them to finally be considered a complete fighting force—the thirteen Champions of the gods.
Hence, Ahren and his friends, make their way onto the Ice Fields in the far south, following what scant clues there are in their efforts to track down the man considered to be the father of all Forest Guardians and who was last seen hunting down the fearsome dragon, Four Claws. An odyssey on sea and ice awaits them—and they know full well that HE, WHO FORCES will be putting up ferocious resistance in his desire to see them fall at the last hurdle . . .
I was born in Krefeld, Germany in 1976 and still live there under the caring eyes of my wife and two Norwegian Forest cats. Originally a publishing salesman, I couldn't resist the lure of writing, and after over a dozen years of playing the gamemaster in pen-and-paper groups, not to mention reading hundreds of fantasy novels, I decided to finally try to write a story myself that I thought might be worth telling. And so my novel Ahren was published in Germany, the first in the best-selling series The 13th Paladin.
When I am not creating new worlds and stories, I like to relax by playing pen-and-paper and story rich video games, reading or binging on TV series. I also practise Jiu Jitsu and the art of handling ancient Japanese weapons like the Katana or the Bo Staff.
Die Reise von Ahren und seinen Gefährten geht endlich weiter! Und dieses Mal mit so viel Spannung, dass ich mich jedes Mal zwingen musste, das Buch aus der Hand zu legen! Wie immer ist es voll von Spannung, Humor und Gefühl. Ich habe Ahren und seine Gefährten inzwischen schon so sehr ins Herz geschlossen, dass es sich anfühlt als würde man zu alten Freunden zurückkehren, wenn man wieder in diese Welt eintaucht. Eine sehr große Leistung, muss ich jedes Mal wieder betonen. Und der zwölfte Teil übertrifft seine Vorgänger noch (ich weiß dass ich bisher bei jedem neuen Teil gesagt habe, dass dieser besser ist als der Vorgänger).
Kurz zum Inhalt(ACHTUNG SPOILER): Die Handlung beginnt genau dort, wo Die Stadt der Schurken geendet hat. Unsere Gefährten haben Gol Konar auf der Königin der Wellen verlassen und machen sich nun auf den Weg nach Kap Verstaad, wo sie sich auf ihre Reise in den eisigen Süden Joraths vorbereiten wollen. Mit an Bord nun auch Trimm, der ängstliche Paladin, dem abgesehen von Ahren niemand so wirklich zu trauen scheint. Nach einer gefährlichen Reise über See erreichen unsere Gefährten endlich Kap Verstaad - eine Stadt in der Trimm ganz in seinem Element ist. Mit Unmut sehen die Paladine und insbesondere auch Uldini mit an, wie Trimm sich von einem Paladin erneut in einen Granden verwandelt und Zweifel kommen auf, ob er ihnen in der Aufgabe, den Widersacher zu bekämpfen beistehen wird. Ahren mahnt sich als einziger regelmäßig, Trimm zu vertrauen, auch wenn seine Freunde in ihm Zweifel sähen. Eine starke Vertrauensprobe steht unseren Gefährten bevor, nach derer sie sich mit einer Flotte auf den Weg in den Süden machen. Mit an Bord auch eine Gruppe Söldner, deren Loyalität nur an Geld und sonst nichts hängt. Die weitere Seereise ist die beste Gelegenheit für ein Kind des Widersachers Probleme zu bereiten, die unsere Gefährten letztendlich alleine im ewigen Eis zurücklassen. Die Suche nach Yollock scheint aussichtslos, doch letztendlich gelingt es ihnen, den letzten Paladin zu finden - und mit ihm eine Überraschung, die alles verändert. Und man sollte natürlich nicht Vierklaues Rolle vergessen, den Drachen wegen dem Yollock sich überhaupt am Ende der Welt aufhält - und der noch eine Rechnung mit dem Ersten offen hat, der Ahren und seine Gefährten auf die gefährliche Reise in den Süden begleitet hat, aus ganz eigenen Gründen.
Mehr sage ich zur Handlung nicht. Es lohnt sich wirklich sehr, dieses Buch zu lesen! Da es voll von unerwarteten Wendungen und Spannung war, sind meiner Meinung nach Ahren und seine Freunde teilweise etwas zu kurz gekommen, aber insgesamt war es wieder ein wundervolles Buch! Ich bin sehr gespannt auf den nächsten Teil, in dem die dreizehn Paladine dem Widersacher gegenüberstehen werden. Ein Buch, das ich garantiert mit einem lachenden und einem weinenden Auge lesen werde, in Anbetracht dessen, dass diese wundervolle und einzigartige Reise Ahrens dann enden wird.
Ahren and his friends are on the ‘Queen of the Waves’ headed to the Ice Fields through waters guarded by Dark Ones. They are on a mission find the last of the 13 Paladins: Yollock. Their first stop is at Men-Hark for repairs, provisions and additional crew, then on to Cape Verstaad. They take advantage of their time at sea to train and teach the newest Paladin: Hakanu. Lanlion is not with them, instead he’s off on a pilgrimage of his own with the two Titejunanwas with him.
The description of the voyage is heart rending as they fight off the Adversary’s minions. Their arrival at Cape Verstaad is fraught with unseen and covert danger. And that’s only a third of the book. Then we get into their actual expedition to the Ice Fields: revenge, mutiny and disaster.
Footnote: 1) Jelninolan’s name is hard to figure out pronounce. Why do author’s torture us that way?
Fave scenes: (too many) Kamaluq getting an unwanted dual bath, Eken meeting Muai, Trimm’s complicated plan for the Golden Council, the secret of Trogadon & Jelninolan’s ballad and Culhen giving Ahren a soft landing.
I have to say I like this series better than the D&D spring dawning. And I'm glad I discovered it after the 13th book was finished. I only have one complaint at this time that I hope will be fixed. The narrator for book 11 was so not right for this series that even though I bought the audible I gave up listening and read the book myself! I'm hoping that the author and the people who manage such things will get the book redone. I know many people who also dislike the book for this reason will be extremely happy. If something is worth doing it should be done right! Which brings me back to the story, if you are a fan of D&D you can't miss out on this series. The author put in the time and his love for this world and the characters shines through. Read the series...
I loved the previous books; however, this book is full of ideas and paragraphs that don’t quite make sense, and I struggled to follow the meaning behind the writing. There are also more incorrect sentences and typos. I suspect the culprit for the lower quality of the narrative to be inadequate translation. Furthermore, the book ends with a miraculous teleportation of the companions from the Frozen Continent to the north of Eathinian, a suspiciously convenient act of magic that the author didn’t manage to make believable. I’m very disappointed.
The call of the ice fields: The 13th Paladin (X11)
I enjoyed this volume of the series, I alway love the animal Companions. The stories are always jam packed with adventures and adversity. They always come together as a team to solve there dilemmas. I anticipate the next and last volume!
The next to the last book of this exciting series. I don’t want it to end. I hope more people read and love it as much as I do. The characters are relatable, the action is tense and the overall theme is wonderful. Is it too much to ask to write another series? Thank you!
This story is a marvelous journey of love, duty, bravery and acceptance of different peoples and their cultures. In order to accomplish a greater good for all. I will be sorry to see it end in the next book but cannot wait to find out what happens.
Great continuation of an outstanding series. Big hearted heroes overcoming huge obstacles while remaining true to their mission and each other. New characters are introduced who add to the story and future options. Looking forward to the next book!!!
I truly love this series. I both look forward to the final book and regret the end of this series is near. The richness of the world building, the development of the characters and the twisty plots make The Thirteenth Paladin a worthy saga for all.
This book was really good! I would say 4.5 stars, and it was better than some of the previous books in the series. It had the right amount of action, dialogue, and character development, and it moved the story along nicely. I am excited for the final book to see how the author finishes it off!
Oh man!!! Now I’m waiting for #13. This is an incredibly fun series, well written and fast paced. Mysteries, magic, mayhem. Unique fleshed out characters and settings. I love epic fantasy and this series represents the genre at its finest.
It started off as something to read in bed, but ended up being a saga that I could not put down. Doreen has put together an adventure equal to Lord of the rings. Cannot wait for the next episode.
I truly enjoyed every book in this adventure. It's one that I will definitely recommend. The characters are delightful, and the companions are unforgettable.
Another 5 star banger. The past 3 books in this series have been so good because there are new hurdles to overcome after a few books that repeated stories. I’m excited to close this series with the next book, but I’ll miss all of these phenomenal characters.
Another compelling read. Character development and storyline continue to evolve. Ahren and his troop are building to a climactic conclusion. Can’t wait to read the final installment of what has been a truly enjoyable epic fantasy!
I want to thank the author I have greatly enjoyed the whole of this story, and highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys this type of stories. Very good writing, some spelling errors in several books or word errors but that is nothing to me.
I have so enjoyed the whole series, I can't wait for the ending and yet I never want to leave all the new friends I have found in the book. The best compliment I can give is to want to know what happened next but don't want the books to end.
I have so enjoyed every volume of this saga so far. The characters are engaging the plot fresh and new while still drawing from traditional fantasy. It's an engrossing story without smut and profanity. Truly a classic. I'm very much looking forward to the culmination of the series in the next book
This h ask been a long trail of adventure. I can't wait for the final chapter. Please read this novel from the first volume. You will not be disappointed.