Free (Kindle) Ôrinstar by Peter Helton [Diacritically Epic Artifact Quest Fantasy]

[ATDrake]

Ôrinstar (apparently officially The Ôrinstar of Angâron on the inside credits of the book) by German expat UK resident author Peter Helton (SYKM, Fantastic Fiction), who seems to be the actual mystery author branching out into exploring strange new genres and seeking out new tales and new audiences (and not just a coincidental namesake), is the 1st novel in his Dark Hunger series of epic fantasy set in the traditional realm with the quest for the magical doohickey to free the peons from the dominion of the dark lord, this one forming a party containing a dwarf, a witch, a conjurer, the apparent Chosen One, and his best buddy, all of whom appear to have what I hope are functional diacritics in their names (insert obligatory Monty Python joke about being bitten by å møøse), free for a limited time courtesy of publisher Endeavour Press' Venture imprint.

This is one of Venture's original publications by newer (or at least new-to-the-genre, and it's always nice to see people with some degree of skill, or at least a string of previously officially published works—which have presumably been enjoyed by the Gentle Readers who keep buying them—trying their hand at sfnal stuff, and hopefully this one is decent even if it does look like it went and tried every branch on the standard fantasy trope tree*) authors. I like how the blurb describes their quest as “hopeless” even though they'll probably triumph in the end. That bit is different, at least.

Currently free @ Amazon (available to Canadians & in the UK and pretty much everywhere else Amazon sells worldwide, since this is being done via their KDP Select exclusive-or-else program)

Description
In a world wrought with darkness and swarming with the evil forces of the dark lord, Únghôr, the realm of Angâron is the last bastion of free peoples, not yet under Únghôr’s dominion.

A dwarf by the name of Dáblik, escaping a losing battle on the continent of Táres, is sent by the wizard Vîndhar through a World Gate to Angâron in search of Ándra who, unbeknown to himself, holds the key to saving Angâron from destruction.

Dáblik finds Ándra lingering in the debtor’s jail of the local baron. The dwarf enlists the help of Sórin, Ándra’s closest friend, to break him out and their hopeless quest begins.

With the help of the mysterious and enchanting witch, Élhima, and the down-at-heel conjuror, Rôkin, they manage to escape from the baron’s prison and flee into the vast Latwood.

Yet it is not only the baron’s men who hunt them; the real danger stalking them is a nárôgh, a terrifying dark mage, sent by Únghôr to devour Angâron’s last hope. Hard on their heels too are other servants of the enemy, and not all are easily recognised (or as ugly) as woodgoblins and tunnel ogres.

To his dismay Ándra finds that his fate is closely bound up with that of the witch Élhima and the desperate fight to defend Angâron.

Together they must uncover a repository of power called the Ôrinstar, their only hope to defeat the forces now being mustered against Angâron.

But what is the Ôrinstar?

And how can they hope to find in time a thing they know so little about?

As the world darkens around them and they are pressed hard by the agents of the enemy, they must learn to rely on each other’s strengths and talents, make strange alliances and learn to tread dangerous paths.

* Probably located in the Latwood, which what with being the only unaccented name of the lot, is clearly either a utopian sanctuary or a place of great and terrible evil; I can't even begin to guess which.