Dreamers (Eddings)

While most continents float freely on the face of Mother Sea, the Land of Dhrall survives anchored by the will of the Gods. All Gods, Elder and Younger, share the people and the land of Dhrall equally. But the one place they never enter is The Wasteland: a barren and hideous wilderness ruled by the Vlagh--a god-like creature whose young are evil spawn. Now, as the Elder Gods are about to transfer their power to the Younger Gods, the Vlagh plans to take advantage of their weakened state and neutralize them, eventually conquering the world. To do so, it is breeding a terrible force borne of monsters and demons. But one ray of hope shines through the darkness: four children called the Dreamers. They alone hold the power to change the course of history...and stop the Vlagh in its quest for total world domination.

Jalkan stumbled back, spitting blood, teeth, and curses and he clawed at his knife-hilt. Keselo's sword, however, came out of its sheath more smoothly and rapidly. The young man put the point of his sword against the bone-thin Trogite's throat. "Drop it, Jalkan," he said quite firmly. "Drop the knife, or I'll kill you right here on the spot." "But this peasant just hit me!" Jalkan screamed. "That's a hanging offense! I'm an officer!" "Not anymore, you aren't," Narasan declared in a flat tone of voice. "I've put up with you for much too long already, and you've just given me something that I've been waiting for. Your army career is finished, Jalkan, and good riddance." "You can't do that!" Jalkan screamed at Narasan. "I paid gold for my commission! Gold!" -from The Treasured One.

After two devastating defeats and the utter annihilation of two armies, the hideous Vlagh still vows to invade the land of Dhrall. A voracious insectile over mind, she can breed millions of soldiers in mere days and even evolve entire new species in just a week. At first, Dhrall's mortal defenders-a motley bunch of mercenaries, pirates, horse lords, and lone heroes like the archer Longbow-are certain they'll prevail again. Most are now battle-hardened veterans, and the natives of Dhrall are fierce bison hunters and bear slayers, ready to fight. But while the Vlagh's past servants were giant, venomous, and mindless bugs, it has now created perfect spies new minions with a man's appearance and intelligence. Corrupted by the agents of the Vlagh, the human tribes are soon at one another's throats. Far, far worse for mortals is the fact that the Gods can no longer be trusted. For, nearing the end of their 25,000-year cycle, the Elder Gods are doddering toward senility and dementia. And to add to mankind's plight, a strange mysterious entity is manipulating the forces in the upcoming strife and neither gods nor mortals know its true intentions. Now, beset by astonishing, dire challenges, Longbow and his fellow mortals must wage a bitter war against a supernatural enemy-one that has evolved in ways they could have never imagined...