Short Synopsis
In the first novel in Martha Wells's Fall of Ile-Rien series, former playwright Tremaine Valiarde is determined to save Ile-Rien from the threat of the Gardier, an army of powerful sorcerors.

Full Synopsis
Ile-Rien is in peril. A mysterious army known only as the Gardier has surrounded the country, attacking in ominous black airships. Hope is not lost though, for a magical sphere created by Ile-Rien's greatest sorcerer may hold the key to defeating the faceless enemy. But the sphere is unpredictable and has already claimed several lives. When a magical spell goes disastrously awry, young Tremaine Valiarde and a brave band are transported to another world—a world of rough magics, evil mages, honorable warriors, and a secret Gardier base.

"The subsequent story seems intended to combine elements of high fantasy and cross-time travel, as if it were a collaborative work by Andre Norton and S. M. Stirling. Thanks to Wells' narrative skill and considerably above-average characterization, it largely succeeds in those intentions." ---Booklist