Into the Broken Lands

Huff (the Peacekeeper series) opens this lackluster epic fantasy generations after the devastating Mage Wars, waged to determine which of six supernaturally gifted mages was most powerful, wreaked havoc on its setting. In the wake of this catastrophe, the legendary leader Capt. Marsan led her people out of the dangerous Broken Lands, and now to preserve their culture, each successive Heir of Marsan must return to gather fuel for the guttering Black Flame which maintains their power. Young, insecure Ryan, the putative heir of Marsan, is the next to undertake this mission, determined to prove himself. In doing so, Ryan faces off against the real power in Marsan, a caste of scholars embodied by his hard-headed cousin Lyelee, his possible rival as Heir. A parallel plotline flashes back to an earlier heir, Garrett, undertaking the same quest. Both heroes are aided by a monstrous enigmatic mage-created “weapon” known as Nonee as they meet one misfortune after another in the Broken Lands, along the way learning the futility of arrogance and the value of honest communication. Unfortunately, the two threads never fully coalesce and the trek through the Broken Lands feels both familiar and exhausting. This is one to skip. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary. (Aug.)