Ivory Sword: The Lore of DAYONE: Books: A.A. Wolfner,Alan J. Vekich

Ivory Sword
The Lore of DAYone *
Genre: Fantasy
By: A. A. Wolfner ** (548 pages, PublishAmerica, $34.95)
Available at Amazon.com, B&N.com, Booksense.com, and Books & Etc. Book Store
ISBN #: 1-4137-9572-2

        Come, and be transported into a world of alien intrigue, mystery, and politics.
        The Ivory Sword of the title was a gift, given to both Prince Morais. and to his twin brother, Ils, by a Fishmonger who prophesied that the two Elves would share the sword. Ils (decreed the elder of the twins by their father, King Solay, Emperor of the Liosdoackfar (Mountain Elves) Empire) has possession of the sword.
        As the story opens, Morais, wanting recognition from his father, arranges with thugs to kidnap his brother, so that he could go to the rescue, and thereby earn respect from King Solay.
        Unfortunately, this plan goes awry as a battle with Fay and Swan Knights, led by King Ceagare, King of the River and Sea Elves and King Solay's vassal (and son-in-law), leaves Morais's father and brothers dead, and his twin, Ils, a prisoner. Ceagare wants the throne, and this ill-conceived plot was the impetus for his try at the throne. Morais rides off after his brother's kidnappers.
        This stirring scene, resplendent with the guilty conscience of Morais, begins his journey  to both rescue Ils, and to prove his worth as the new Champion to the Throne. He does not, has never wanted, to be king. He never wanted this to get out of hand.
        Events spiral beyond his control and the Elf Prince, Morais, gathers companions along the journey to rescue his brother, each with his or her own reasons for allying themselves with him and his cause.
        Morais sort of ends up with the sword. It's shrouded in mystery, and it seems to disappear, only to reappear at odd intervals. He has it for an initial defense, but it vanishes like an enigma, only to turn up again at the strangest times.
        Will Morais solve the mystery of the Ivory Sword? Will he succeed in his quest, to save his brother and, perhaps, avenge his father's death? Will Morais's adopted emblem, the White Rose triumph over the equally enigmatic emblem of the Black Rose, the symbol for the Spectral Dragoons who stole his brother away, and killed his father and brothers on the battlefield, along with Ceagare?
        This world is a rich tapestry of many races--Elves, Dwarvess, Dragons, Syrons, and others--a few of whom join the Prince in his quest, all with a single cause: to rescue, or revenge, their loved ones. This is the first book in the series and, as I came to its end, I found myself looking forward to the second book in the series.
        The prologue, and the epilogue, are separate from the main story; yet, they are important to the story, overall, and not to be skipped.

* The Lore of the DayONE comes from a game called DayONE or Day One. They created the game and the people in the acknowledgment play tested. The game generated some of the characters in the book. The teenage daughter of one of the authors created the Syrons.
** A. A. Wolfner is a pen name for Alan Vekich and Art Kessner.