The book I read was called The Darksword Volume II: Doom of the Darksword. It was written by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman. The book was published in 1988. The book contains 383 pages. Three of the main characters in the story are Joram, Saryon, Simkin and Gwendolyn. Joram, Saryon, and Simkin are travelers who travel to the glorious city of Merilon to reclaim Joram's noble fortune. Whilst there, they meet Gwendolyn. Joram and Gwendolyn fall in love with each other at first sight.
In the book, four friends named Joram, Saryon, Simkin, and Mosiah travel from the Outland all the way to the glorious city of Merilon where Joram hopes to prove his place as a Merilonian noble. Joram then figures out that he is supposed to be the new emporer of Merilon. He is the true son of the current Empress, but he was stolen at birth by a mad woman named Anja. The nobles of Merilon didn't want Joram to be the new emporer, so they tried to conceal it by arresting him and sentencing him to The Turning. The Turning is the worst punishment in all of Thimhallan. One is turned to stone to stand and look into Beyond for all of eternity. During Joram's turning ceremony, as soon as the spell was cast, father Saryon jumped in front of Joram and took the spell for himself. He told Joram to run. Joram and Gwendolyn escaped into the Beyond. The problem is, anyone who has ever been into the Beyond has never come back.
Anyone with a love for fantasy should definitely consider reading The Darksword series. The books are filled with excitement. They will always hae you wanting to turn the page and read what happens next next. The second volume was the best book I have read so far in the series. There is a lot of action and unexpected events; such as Saryon blocking the spell that would have turned Joram into stone. this book is great for anyone my age. I can see anyone enjoying this series of books, even if you are not into fantasy! I would not recommend this book if you are a slow reader because it will end up taking you ages to finish the book. The Darksword Trilogy is a fantastic book series.
Jacob M.