The Orokon Series by Tom Arden

Long ago, the god Orok gave each of his five children crystals to embed on the Rock of Being and Unbeing. From this circle of crystals, known as the Orokon, sprung the gods, the earth, and all its peoples. And, it ensured the harmony of life-until the dark god Koros plucked one from the Rock and plunged the world into chaos and despair. Now, someone has emerged willing to try to reunite the crystals of the Orokon: the young, crippled Jemany Vexing... moreLong ago, the god Orok gave each of his five children crystals to embed on the Rock of Being and Unbeing. From this circle of crystals, known as the Orokon, sprung the gods, the earth, and all its peoples. And, it ensured the harmony of life-until the dark god Koros plucked one from the Rock and plunged the world into chaos and despair. Now, someone has emerged willing to try to reunite the crystals of the Orokon: the young, crippled Jemany Vexing. But, the evil sorcerer Toth-Vexrah has his own plans...and he will let no one stand in his way. less

Once there was a land with five evil kings, and each king had an evil queen. These were the King and Queen of Quills, of Wheels, of Spires, of Rings. Most powerful wicked and feared of all were the King and Queen of Swords . . .That was long ago, and now the King and Queen of Swords are only painted faces on playing cards, flicking across the green baize of gaming tables... moreOnce there was a land with five evil kings, and each king had an evil queen. These were the King and Queen of Quills, of Wheels, of Spires, of Rings. Most powerful wicked and feared of all were the King and Queen of Swords . . .That was long ago, and now the King and Queen of Swords are only painted faces on playing cards, flicking across the green baize of gaming tables. Or are they?For Jemany Vexing, true prince of Ejland and Key to the Orokon, keeps hearing their names, in song and in story, as he sets out on the second stage of his quest, seeking the long-lost mythic crystals of the gods.On the run and lying low, disguised as a wandering Vaga-player, Jem is making for the great southern city of Agondon, where he hopes the mysterious guardian promised to him by the enigmatic harlequin will guide him to the green Crystal of Viana. But Lord Empster is not all he appears. less

Prince Jemany is plunged into a seething hotbed of political machinations and rebellion as he begins the next stage of his quest to seek the long-lost crystals of the Orokon. Already the anti-god Toth Vexrah is working his evil upon the susceptible and easily swayed. Only Jem stands in his way -- but Jem is trapped in the bizarre, horrifying dreamworld of the enchanter Almoran... morePrince Jemany is plunged into a seething hotbed of political machinations and rebellion as he begins the next stage of his quest to seek the long-lost crystals of the Orokon. Already the anti-god Toth Vexrah is working his evil upon the susceptible and easily swayed. Only Jem stands in his way -- but Jem is trapped in the bizarre, horrifying dreamworld of the enchanter Almoran. Meanwhile his lost love Cata becomes embroiled with the Shimmering Princess, the idol of millions, whose fate holds the key to the Sultan's empire - and to the whereabouts of the pulsing red crystal of the fire god Theron. This is the third volume in Tom Arden's uniquely entertaining saga of the Orokon. less

Slave galleys, ghost ships, shipwrecks and sea monsters are only preludes to Prince Jemany's confrontation with the evil Sisterhood of the Blue Storm as he seeks the fourth crystal, Wenaya's blue jewel. The latest instalment in this epic saga is a whirling fantasia of swashbuckling adventure, tragedy and triumph, of comedy and romance, of heart-stopping action and unforgettable, larger-than-life characters, caught up in a quest on which hangs the fate of the world.

Long ago, the mysterious bearers of a golden, magical jewel retreated to the Lamasery of the Winds, high in the mountains. Then came the avalanche. Many think the lamasery has been destroyed. Others know the truth is stranger by far. Caught between dimensions, its powers persist and grow... moreLong ago, the mysterious bearers of a golden, magical jewel retreated to the Lamasery of the Winds, high in the mountains. Then came the avalanche. Many think the lamasery has been destroyed. Others know the truth is stranger by far. Caught between dimensions, its powers persist and grow. But are they powers of good -- or welling, insidious evil? Returning at last to his rightful kingdom, Prince Jemany faces the final conflict in his desperate battle to reunite the sacred Crystals of Orok and defeat his evil rival, the anti-god Toth-Vexrah, whose campaign of conquest is now almost complete. In an icy, midwinter city, ravaged by terrorism, brutal murder and impending war, Jem struggles for clues to his last, most mysterious, and most powerful prize, the searing, sun-like crystal of the sky god Agonis. From its mysterious opening scenes to its devastating climax, Empress of the Endless Dream, the fifth and final volume of Tom Arden's apocalyptic fantasy epic, is a helter-skelter, heart-stopping rush of black humour and horror, murder and mysticism, the divine and the depraved. less