The Way of Edan: Book One of The Edan Trilogy

PRAISE FOR PHILIP CHASE In The Way of Edan, Philip Chase has written a highly accomplished first novel. The storytelling is top-notch. There’s a gravitas in the writing that put me in mind of Tolkien, with definite shades of Katherine Kerr, along with John Gwynne. This is a novel born of love for the story. MARK LAWRENCE What a wonderful read! Prose that is smooth and accessible, a world with a weight and depth to it, and a gripping and emotional story. There's a lot to love here. Lovely to see the Anglo-Saxon influences that gave me a real sense of time and place, and the storytelling was done with a deft, assured hand. JOHN GWYNNE The Way of Edan encompasses an expanding war driven by voracious religious fanaticism. Young heroes emerge, bonded by loyalty, in an age of ripening prophecy. Traditional fantasy readers will find elves with a fresh spin expanding the familiar bounds of individuality, and women, old and young, who wield magic in positions of power. JANNY WURTS PRAISE FOR PHILIP CHASE (CONTINUED) An impressive debut novel. Chase deftly weaves mystery and action with profound world-building. Deeply realized and compelling. IAN C. ESSLEMONT Gemmell’s characters have invaded the landscape of Tolkien in this immersive, addictive, poetic read. An instant classic that will have fantasy and historical fiction fans desperate for more. ED FROM THE BROTHERS GWYNNE Every element of storytelling comes together to weave an engaging and immersive story that is an absolute joy to follow. WILL FROM THE BROTHERS GWYNNE THE WAY OF EDAN Book One of The Edan Trilogy PHILIP CHASE Copyright © 2023 by Philip Chase All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people — family, friends, and students — have helped me in the crafting of this story by reading it and offering their encouragement, without which I would have found it far more difficult to persevere. The numerous friends I have made on “BookTube” in recent years have aided me in ways they will never know to get this book to the finish line. I am more grateful for their kindness than I can express. Special thanks to Simon Lipskar, who helped me believe I am a writer. I could not be happier with the beautiful cover that Kyra Gregory and Jack Shepherd created, and Jack brought Eormenlond to life with his fantastic map. Jimmy Nutts is a hero for helping me with my author website, and what an honor for The Edan Trilogy to be Allen Walker’s first (but surely not last) undertaking as an audiobook narrator! My thanks to Dan Koontz for his keen-eyed proofreading. Also vital was Vaughn Roycroft, Thiago Abdalla, and Ryan Cahill’s helpful advice for navigating the self-publishing seas. There can be few feelings to compare with having people whose writing one admires say kind things about one’s book; my gratitude to those authors who have shown such generosity to me is immense. Finally, while many authors mention friends on pages like this, few have the opportunity to bring up their very own Nemesis. Thank you, A.P. Canavan, from the bottom of my nefarious heart for the uncountable and illuminating critical insights that I could only refer to as fireballs. For Rama CONTENTS Prologue 1. Troubles from Outside 2. Where Memories Dwell 3. The Hunt 4. The Awakening 5. Under the Stars 6. The Powers in Torrhelm 7. A Dawn Attack 8. Secret Knowledge 9. The Way Back 10. Woven of Words 11. At the Crossroads 12. The Call to War 13. The Old Works of Giants 14. The Eternal Worship 15. In the Company of Mercenaries 16. Past, Present, and Future 17. In the Monster’s Clutches 18. Chasing the Impossible 19. Stalking the Enemy 20. At Bay in Caergilion 21. The War of the Way 22. The Choice Epilogue About the Author PROLOGUE Deathlike silence descended upon the temple. It began with a hush when Finan and his two companions approached the steps leading up to the columned building. With each marble step they trod, the merchants and citizens behind them in the courtyard quieted more and more, their loud bargaining and conversing of moments before cut off and forgotten. By the time the three priests reached the top step, an eerie stillness had seized everything. Each of Finan’s labored breaths seemed drawn out to an eternity, each intake laden with the scent of smoke and spices from the food stalls behind him mixed with the stench of what he carried. Beneath his white woolen robe, sweat trickled down his back. He tried to steady his breathing and calm his trembling body, and then, in unison with his companions, he turned around. A crowd had formed within moments while Egbert, Deda, and he climbed the steps up to the temple, and more onlookers were arriving. Dozens of pairs of dark eyes gazed up at Finan and his two companions, squinting with curiosity, surprise, and hostility. For a generation, the Caergilese had grown accustomed to missionary priests from Torrlond preaching on the street corners of Iarfaen, but the sight of three of them before the doorway of the temple dedicated to their goddess was another matter. Egbert shattered the silence, crying out his sermon. “Edan sends us to bring His light to your darkness, His truth to your ignorance!” The Caergilese frowned at the three of them in confusion and rising anger, the murmurs in their tongue growing louder until they vied with Egbert’s impassioned words, which washed over Finan almost without comprehension. His senses were alert and numb all at once, as if he were not part of the scene but an observer hovering over it. Some distant instinct of self-preservation screamed at him that he should not be doing this, that he should