The Paladin Trilogy Series by James A. Hillebrecht

FIRST BOOK OF THE PALADIN TRILOGY "Power be the lure that draws men forth, and power be the snare that takes them." Thus runs an ancient proverb of Alencia, and its truth is demonstrated when Alacon Regnar, Tyrant of the Northlands, is enticed to accept a demonic scepter known as the Ohric with whispered promises of conquest and domination... moreFIRST BOOK OF THE PALADIN TRILOGY "Power be the lure that draws men forth, and power be the snare that takes them." Thus runs an ancient proverb of Alencia, and its truth is demonstrated when Alacon Regnar, Tyrant of the Northlands, is enticed to accept a demonic scepter known as the Ohric with whispered promises of conquest and domination. The Ohric fulfills these promises beyond even Regnar's wildest dreams, summoning forth the Juggernaut, a gigantic darkness in human shape that smashes its way through everything in its path and leads the Northing horde towards Jalan's Drift, the greatest and richest fortress-city in all the world. Against this horror stands a single man, Darius Inglorion, a holy warrior known as a Paladin, who is summoned to rally the states of the Southlands which are frozen by fear and treachery. But societies have their own defenders who strike out when their functions are threatened, and Darius faces treachery from dukes and priests alike. He finds a devious ally in Adella, a fearless thief with a mystical sword who just may hold the key to the Juggernaut. And finally, pursuing him over the long leagues is Darius' own 17 year-old daughter, Shannon, who has ignored his orders and followed him to the wars, heeding a call she can neither understand nor resist. less

SECOND BOOK IN THE PALADIN TRILOGY The Juggernaut has smashed its way across the Plains of Alencia to the very walls of Jalan's Drift. But even as Darius rallies the forces of the Southlands to oppose it, questions begin to arise as a darker and more sinister purpose begins to make itself known... moreSECOND BOOK IN THE PALADIN TRILOGY The Juggernaut has smashed its way across the Plains of Alencia to the very walls of Jalan's Drift. But even as Darius rallies the forces of the Southlands to oppose it, questions begin to arise as a darker and more sinister purpose begins to make itself known. Mraxdavar the Great, Eldest of Dragons, heeds the call to render aid, but are dragons coming to the succor of their deadliest foes, mankind, simply at the behest of one human wizard? Duke Argus barters for the aid of the murderous priests of a renegade god, but are the blackest and most powerful summonings of their deity to be handed to a mortal lord merely for his personal advancement? And did the demonic scepter, the Ohric, actually exert all this time and power merely to enable a barbarian horde to break a single city, even one as large and rich as Jalan's Drift? In this second novel of the Paladin Trilogy, Darius struggles to understand the significance of these questions, while the unlikely team of the thief Adella and Shannon, Darius' teen-aged Daughter, is diverted to an isolated castle where the tyrant Regnar holds the power that has enslaved the states of the Plains of Alencia. less

THIRD BOOK IN THE PALADIN TRILOGY In this third and final novel of the Paladin Trilogy, the dark purpose of the demonic scepter, the Ohric, is revealed at last. The Juggernaut is gone, Jalan's Drift is broken, and the Paladin has been cast down into darkness... moreTHIRD BOOK IN THE PALADIN TRILOGY In this third and final novel of the Paladin Trilogy, the dark purpose of the demonic scepter, the Ohric, is revealed at last. The Juggernaut is gone, Jalan's Drift is broken, and the Paladin has been cast down into darkness. Nothing now stands in the way of the scepter's true intent, and the Ohric now gathers all its forces to exert against a hidden monastery locked in the middle of an impassible wood and guarded by a legion of warrior monks sworn to defend the walls with their lives. They have good reason for their fealty. Secured deep beneath the monastery beyond a deadly labyrinth lies a talisman of power forged by the gods themselves to give dominion over all the creatures of the earth. And this is the treasure for which the Ohric's dark master now extends his hand? less