Part 1: the Legend of Cratox the Conqueror

Book excerpt: In a place known as the Thirteenth Realm, Cratox the Conqueror rises to power, claiming victory over all who oppose him. Leaving a relentless path of destruction, the warrior destroys kingdom by kingdom until the entire eastern hemisphere of the Thirteenth Realm had been engulfed. Then he sets his sights on the western frontier, separated from him by a dangerous ocean. Cratox believes that taking over that land will make him an unstoppable ruler. He sends his two best scouts, Demlin and Dalock, to survey the land and report back to him. And it is there that Cratox finds his ultimate test: three celestial warlocks named Lucor, Nimex, and Maltec. Having anticipated the warlord’s movements for centuries, the three celestial beings capture both scouts and offer one of them a deal that he cannot refuse—and returning the other as a gruesome warning. Cratox plans a surprise of his own in return, but only time will tell whether this battle will be more than he is prepared to face. In this fantasy novel, a warlord setting out to conquer his world finds himself facing an unexpected challenge in the form of three powerful warlocks.