A hundred-thousand man Lanoirian army is poised outside the walls of Melbin in a bid to attack Alcea from the south. Meanwhile an enormous army of goblins, yaki, ogres, and Black Devils are heading towards Tagaret, the capital of Alcea, from the north. King Arik and his Alcea Knights must defeat these two armies to complete the Ancient Prophecy. The immortal Mage has gathered six of the world's greatest magician to embark upon a mysterious mission that appears to be at odds with King Arik's fulfillment of the prophecy. The stakes have never been higher, nor the situation ever so dire. Amethyst of the Gods is the final volume of the Sword of Heavens series.

King Arik looked down at his hand. His knuckles were white from gripping the dragon’s scale. Slowly, he released his hold and flexed his fingers to relieve the stiffness.

“Finally,” commented Wyka. “I was wondering how long it would take you to trust my flying skills. We dragons were born to fly. It is kind of insulting that you felt the need to hang on so tightly.”

“Sorry,” apologized King Arik. “Flying may be natural for you, but I am not used to being on a dragon’s back. I was not really aware that I was clutching your scale so tightly.”

“Now that your hands are free,” smirked the dragon, “should I demonstrate my flying skills?”

The king’s hand shot back towards the scale he had been holding, but his fingers stopped a scant inch away as he realized what he was doing.

“That will not be necessary,” King Arik said in a controlled voice as he saw the coastline appearing in the distance. “We do not have time for games this day. Is that Tagaret approaching?”

“Of course,” replied Wyka. “Are you questioning my skills in navigation now?”

“Certainly not,” smiled the king as he shook his head. “I do need to give you fair warning, though. The people of Tagaret are not used to dragons. They may try to fire upon you.”

“I can defend myself against a rabble of humans,” scowled the dragon. “I will teach them some manners.”

“That is not the entrance that I have planned,” retorted King Arik. “Remember that you are not allowed to eat humans any more.”

“It is a terrible waste of meat,” growled Wyka, “but I will not eat their remains. I will just torch them and leave their burning bodies behind.”

“No,” warned the king as he shook his head. “You are not even to attack them. I am warning you so that you may evade their arrows, not so you can be prepared to attack them. The people of Tagaret are my people. I want you to behave.”

King Arik could not see Wyka’s broad grin, but he did detect a muffled snicker.

“Very well,” sighed the dragon. “You are a most demanding king. If you just wanted to ride into the city on a pet dragon, couldn’t you have selected one of the children?”

“You will get a chance to show your battle prowess,” promised King Arik, “but it will be against Sarac’s forces, not mine.”

The king could almost feel the disappointment in Wyka as she slumped her shoulders. He chuckled inwardly at the need of the dragon to drive fear into the hearts of the humans.

“All right,” sighed King Arik, “here is what you can do. Stay well above the range of their arrows, and I will let you breath fire and roar at the crowds below. But,” he added quickly, “after I am recognized, you must calm down. And, under no circumstances are you to harm my people. Are you agreed?”

Wyka brightened considerably and nodded her huge head. “You understand,” she said with surprise in her voice. “Perhaps you were meant to be a dragon.”

“I am not sure what I was meant to be,” laughed King Arik, “but I do understand. We will put on a fierce show during our arrival. I will even draw my sword for effect.”

Wyka was so happy that her wings instantly propelled her higher into the air. King Arik found his hand automatically reaching for a scale, but he forced himself to remain calm. Below, the city grew in size as they approached the coastline. Tiny dots moved along the strands of the spider-web-like city. As they got closer, King Arik could make out the forms of the humans below. Already the approaching dragon had been sighted and people were pointing skyward.

“They see us,” the king informed the dragon.

“They see me,” retorted Wyka with a gleam in her eye. “Look at them running."

 

A hundred-thousand man Lanoirian army is poised outside the walls of Melbin in a bid to attack Alcea from the south. Meanwhile an enormous army of goblins, yaki, ogres, and Black Devils are heading towards Tagaret, the capital of Alcea, from the north. King Arik and his Alcea Knights must defeat these two armies to complete the Ancient Prophecy. The immortal Mage has gathered six of the world's greatest magician to embark upon a mysterious mission that appears to be at odds with King Arik's fulfillment of the prophecy. The stakes have never been higher, nor the situation ever so dire. Amethyst of the Gods is the final volume of the Sword of Heavens series.

Interesting read Recommended 5 stars

With Amethyst of the Gods writer Tuttle rounds out the Sword of Heaven series in the same exciting fashion readers have come to expect. Powerful motivations, shrewdly interwoven, suspense filled story line, a complicated yarn of treachery, strife judiciously resolved and a gratifying culmination are all part of this impressive read.

Richard Tuttle’s rich imagination has carried the reader on an exciting journey from the days when we first met the Alcea Rangers, suffered in the eternal darkness and came to dread the evil Sarac to adventure upon adventure as the various stones needed to complete the Sword of Heaven and restore the light were located, retrieved and placed into the handle of the weapon. Credible characters, well fleshed, struggling against all odds, colloquy filled with poignancy, tingle and grit, all perform against an environment of noteworthy scenes, reverberations and fragrance. The people and land all come to life under Tuttle’s skillful pen.

Exciting read sure to please those who enjoy a good fantasy complete with quest, hero, magik and divertissement. Nice addition to the home and school library where Amethyst of the Gods is sure to be read by the upper grade youngsters who enjoy the genre.

 

Making the transition from President of a computer consulting firm servicing Fortune 500 companies to the reclusive life of creating new worlds is not as difficult a task as one would imagine. Both require organization, patience, and a vision of what is possible.

Richard S. Tuttle accomplishes this transition in a dramatic way with the release of fourteen novels dealing with two entirely created worlds. The Khadora Series evolves around a continent comprised of three countries with widely diverse cultures.

The Targa Trilogy and the Sword of Heavens Series deals not only with a diverse world but widely varied universes as well. His ability to create a believable world and unique characters is bound to draw a following of readers that will make Richard S. Tuttle a household name.

 

Amethyst of the Gods by Richard S. Tuttle
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