The Vacant Throne [Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Ed Greenwood (Author), Stuart Langston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

Aglirta is known as the Kingless Land. Once prosperous and peaceful, it has fallen into lawlessness, studded with feuding baronies engaged in a constant state of war . . . but the land is kingless no more.

The legendary Sleeping King has been reawakened by the efforts of the valiant Band of Four:
-Hawkril, a bold and brave warrior gifted with great strength and fortitude
-Craer, the crafty and clever thief
-Sarasper, the learned and wise healer
-Lady Embra Silvertree, the mystical Lady of Jewels, a powerful sorceress

With the aid of the Dwaerindim Stones, the King's curse has been lifted . . . but it will take more than the Dwaerindim to restore him to the long vacant throne of the land. Ambitious and devious barons are ready to challenge him for the throne, while dark, inhuman forces wait for the chance to bring Aglirta under its evil shadow. The Band of Four must quest for a powerful secret that will restore the kingdom to its former glory.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Best known as the creator of Forgotten Realms, the Dungeons & Dragons-based heroic fantasy series, Greenwood continues to give his audience exactly what they want stereotypical heroes and villains caught up in predictably dirty schemes full of violence, magic and PG-13 humor in this sequel to 2000's The Kingless Land. The Four gruff warrior Hawkril, sly thief Craer, grumpy healer Sarasper and beautiful sorceress Lady Embra Silvertree assisted Kelgrael Snowsar to assume the throne as the rightful "Risen King" of Aglirta, yet there are still plenty of lords who'd rather see someone else in his place. To quiet their complaints, Snowsar decrees that he will hold a "recoronation" at the start of the new year, after everyone has decided which side to take, for or against him. Meanwhile the king sends his faithful Four off to recover the missing fourth Dwaer-stone, a magical gem that, when added to the three they already possess, will give the king and his allies the power to defeat any enemy. Of course the Four immediately become the target of every bad guy in the realm, even as Snowsar busies himself with avoiding assassins at every turn. A choppy, haphazardly constructed story speeds along from one unnecessary side trip to another. While new readers looking for an undemanding, fast, furious read may find this book a reasonable way to kill an hour or two, they're unlikely to come back for more.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The sequel to The Kingless Land (2000) establishes that the troubles of that land, Aglirta, are by no means over. The Dwaerindim Stones have lifted the curse of the Sleeping King, but the feudal magnates, long accustomed to having their own way in the matter of private wars and armies, also have abundant resources and few scruples about using them to preserve their position. Some of those resources are magical and threaten to provoke a situation beside which the curse is petty. Hawkril the warrior, Craer the thief, Sarasper the healer, and Embra Silvertree the Lady of Jewels have to match wits and weapons against the ruthless feudality and to seek out a powerful magical secret whose possession confers the rule of Aglirta--or worse. Greenwood's background in game-related fiction shows again, but so does his singular sense of humor, and his world-building skills compensate for occasional slow pacing. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786194413
• ISBN-13: 978-0786194414
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,549,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms setting, is the best-selling author of hundreds of novels, game products, and articles. His most recent novel for Wizards of the Coast is The City of Splendors, a collaboration with Elaine Cunningham. He is also the author of the Band of Four novels published by Tor Books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting fantasy, March 30, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vacant Throne: A Band of Four Novel (Band of Four Novels) (Hardcover)

The King's Curse kept Aglirta in a constant state of civil war as barons fought their friends and foes without a central monarch to rein them in. However, the chaos seems over because the "Band of Four" (Hawrdil the warrior, Craer the thief, Sarasper the healer, and Embra the sorceress) combined their talents with that of the magical Dwaerindim Stones to remove the curse and awakens the long time sleeping monarch King Kelgrael.

The initial success of the Band of Four does not mean the restoration of the King. The barons refuse to give up their autonomy to Kelgrael. However, that threat pales when compared to the malevolent beings who plot to bring Kelgrael back under their control with only the Band of Four between them and a repeat of their earlier success of putting the King to sleep.

Ed Greenwood escorts his fans back to the Land of the Band of Four with an exciting fantasy tale. The story line stands alone while adding to the mythos established by the previous novel (see THE KINGLESS LAND). The tale works because of the deep characterizations of the Band of Four and their interrelationships, often amusing and competitive yet supportive when needed. The personalities shine through the entertaining plot so fantasy fans will enjoy THE VACANT THRONE; a realm filled with the unbelievable that it feels like Mr. Greenwood cast a believable spell on his audience.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Life is Cheap, April 8, 2004

By 

Emery Csulak "ecsulak" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vacant Throne: A Band of Four Novel (Band of Four Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Althought the writing is decent, the story doesn't seem to go anywhere. Chat, Flirt, Hack, Die, Chat, Flirt, Hack, Die. Sorry, I hope I didn't spoil anything for anyone. If your looking for a bunch of sensational fights, you'll enjoy the book. If you want a little more depth, try one of his other books.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where's the plot?, August 25, 2003

By 

Melekal (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vacant Throne: A Band of Four Novel (Band of Four Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read almost all of Ed Greenwoods works and I really have to say that this series wins the cake on the worst one yet. It starts out with promise but the further you get in the book the more it seems to insult your intelligence. The main characters mainly go through the last one and the this one as well just fighting an endless host of people with swords and magic. Through pure luck they continually win and if they get beat someone comes along and saves them at the last minute. There is really no plot development and it gets way too mind numbing. I made the mistake of reading the next two out of boredom and kept hoping that something would happen. IT NEVER DID!!! Even if you love Ed Greenwood please avoid this series.