THE HUNTER'S GAMBIT

This epic fantasy debut features a farmer summoned by destiny to aid a prince against an evil supposedly defeated centuries ago.

Aleksei Drago is a farmer of the Southern Plain. In the field one day, he begins to hear a voice in his head. “North, Aleksei,” a man’s voice says, “I have need of you.” He dreams of intense emerald eyes. Elsewhere, in a commune serving the Dark God Volos, Bael is the youngest son of Lord Father Rafael. The lad, treated like a worthless toad, lacks the gift of wielding Archanium magic that his siblings possess. When his Granny Jorna describes a prophetic vision of doom revolving around him, she says: “You just have to find the boy.” Bael’s magical talents increase and he mentally contacts Aleksei. But there’s stiff competition for the farmer’s attention, namely the green-eyed Prince Jonas Belgi of Ilyar. He stews in the capital of Kalinor, betrothed to Lord Bertrand Perron’s daughter, Eleina, to uphold an alliance. Meanwhile, Aleksei rides north, little realizing that his mother’s magical Ri-Hnon blood helps him travel “five hundred leagues in three days” and communicate with the spirit of the forest, Mother Wood. While Aleksei’s familial destiny is that of a Hunter, greater service summons him to battle against a once-banished evil that maneuvers itself free. In this series opener, McIntire beckons dedicated fantasy readers with a dazzling prologue in which a Magus named Cassian struggles to lock away the evil Kholodym Dominion while the sorcerer’s heroic lover, Richter, prepares to slay the villain if necessary. The character-driven whirlwind that follows sets up elaborate cultures and high stakes. Archanium Knights, for example, bond for life with their Magi, to the exclusion of other intimate relationships. The Hunter and the Prince’s first kiss is exceptional because “Aleksei Drago was the rare man who saw right past all of Jonas’ pretense,” making them a “perfect match.” McIntire maintains grandeur and tension throughout as Aleksei trades his youthful naiveté for worldly caution; Bael’s manipulative evil engulfs others; and soulless revenants begin overtaking the land. War and the ruin of nations await in the sequel.

A taut, engaging tale that sets its diverse heroes and villains on a slow boil toward chaos.