Bane in the Stone: Return of the Gryphons by L.J Hutton

He’s fallen into another world. They need a hero! Legend has it that the dukes of Palma can control the fabled stone gryphons of Staer-Dushan, and that together they will defend the Duchy’s people against all enemies. So when the current duke is murdered in strange circumstances, it is imperative that his errant son and heir is found and forced to return. The only problems are firstly finding Marcus, and then when they do, finding he’s not the man they thought he was! Mark was just another ex-soldier trying to forget his demons when he woke up somewhere else, and with no idea how he got there or how to get home. Worse, he’s the double of missing Marcus but without a scrap of his magical powers. Persuaded to act as Marcus to prevent wide-spread panic amongst the people, it isn’t long before Mark is up to his neck in assassination attempts. But what neither he nor his new friends expect is for the gryphons to suddenly start moving! He can’t control them, the duke’s remaining brother can’t either, but it becomes clear that somebody can. Who has this long-lost power, and what do they want? As the gryphons rain chaos onto the city of Staer-Dushan, and long-lost magic reappears, against the odds it is Mark’s experience of a very different kind of fighting which might yet avert disaster! A high-stakes adventure of double identity in a fantasy setting, Bane in the Stone is the first book in a complete epic fantasy quartet. If you love character-driven fantasies such as Robin Hobb’s Fitz and the Fool novels, the Sword of Truth series, or the quasi-Renaissance style world in Scott Lynch’s Locke Lamora books, this is a series for you. Pick up a copy of Bane in the Stone today to join Mark in his struggle to save his new home!

Adult • Fantasy