The Jack of Souls (Fantasy)

A NEW ROGUE & KNIGHT FANTASY SERIES BEGINS...       Harric is an outcast rogue who must break a curse laid on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. As the day approaches, nightmares from the spirit world stalk him and tear at his soul. To survive, he'll need more than his usual tricks. He'll need help-and a lot of it-but on the kingdom's lawless frontier, his only allies are other outcasts.       One of these outcasts is Caris, a mysterious, horse-whispering runaway, intent upon becoming one of the Queen's first female knights. The other is Sir Willard-ex-immortal, ex-champion, now addicted to pain-killing herbs and banished from the court.       With their help, Harric might keep his curse at bay. But for how long?       And both companions bring perils and secrets of their own: Caris bears the scars of a troubled past that still hunts her; Willard is at war with the Old Ones, an order of insane immortal knights who once enslaved the kingdom. The Old Ones have returned to murder Willard and seize the throne from his queen as Willard attempts one final, desperate quest to save her.       Together, Harric and his companions must overcome fanatical armies, murderous sorcerers, and powerful supernatural foes.       Alone, Harric must face the temptation of a forbidden magic that could break his curse, but cost him the only woman he's ever loved.              ...A TALE OF MISCHEIF, MAGIC, AND THE TRIUMP OF TRICKSTERS.       * * *      '...The Jack of Souls is a terrific read from beginning to end and clearly establishes Merlino as a master of the fantasy action/adventure genre. Highly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections...'  - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW        * * *       '...a tribute to the Trickster, an exhilarating and funny and larger-than-life paen to the ones who might not be the strongest or bravest, but can out-think, outlast, or outplay their musclebound foes. It's a lightning-paced rollercoaster world built of humor, bravery, brains, and excellent writing. The villains are unequivocally evil. The heroes are flawed, hexed, unlucky, or just plain old. And sometimes they smell really bad.'  - BARB TAUB, Author of the Null City series       * * *       'Of all the books I've read in the past couple of years, The Jack of Souls is by far my favorite. Merlino's remarkable imagination and storytelling skills had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I want to read the next book NOW!'   -KAREN DUVALL, author of Darkest Knight, and Demon Fare.       * * *       'A rich and rewarding new fantasy mythos!' -ROB MAY, author of Dragon Killer .