THE THREE LANDS: fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula ¶ By Dusk Peterson

He vowed himself to his god. Now the god is growing impatient . . .

The Three Lands is a fantasy series on friendship, romance, and betrayal in times of war and peace.

¶ The Three Lands genre/theme tags (with minor spoilers).

ALSO AT THIS DOMAIN: New stories | E-books and online fiction | About the author | Copyright | Contact the author.

SERIES CONTENTS

The Three Lands: an omnibus of fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula. Omnibus e-book for the series.
Law Links: God of Vengeance | The Sword | God of Mercy | The Bird | God of Judgment | The Balance.
Death Mask: Probable Danger Whistle | Immediate Danger Whistle | Acknowledgment Whistle | End of Hunt Whistle (Alive, Dead, and Lost).
Blood Vow: The Gods' Land | Land of the Chara | The Look of the Chara | Land of the Jackal | The Eyes of the Jackal | The God's Land.
Re-creation.
Law of Vengeance: Introduction of Terms | Description | Justification | Cases | Sentences | Sacrifice.
Bard of Pain.
Mystery.
Map and series resources.
Reviews (separate page).

The Three Lands: an omnibus of fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula

Cover for the 2011 edition of 'The Three Lands'

Cover for the 2013 edition of 'The Three Lands'

Koretia, Emor, and Daxis were all founded on the same day, but as the centuries have passed, the Three Lands of the Great Peninsula have become increasingly divided by religion, government, and culture. Koretians worship many gods, Daxions worship one goddess, and Emorians revere only their law. Emorians claim that Koretians are vicious and superstitious, Koretians think that Daxions are vile oath-breakers, and Daxions charge that Emorians abuse their children and slaves.

If a god were to appear in the Three Lands, would his appearance bring an end to the fighting between nations? Or would he merely help to spark an inferno of war?

As the inhabitants of the Three Lands struggle to adjust to the appearance of an unexpected visitor into the human world, two people will play crucial roles in the conflict. One is a young Emorian – clever, courageous, and affectionate – who will come to understand the Koretians with a depth and intimacy that few others of his land can match. The second person is a Koretian boy whom the Emorian will seek to destroy.

This 2013 edition of the omnibus is expanded to half a million words. It provides a bundled collection of three novels, two novellas, and a novelette in The Three Lands, a multicultural fantasy series on friendship, romance, and betrayal in times of war and peace.

     ¶ Buy the e-book: (HTML) | (PDF)
     ¶ Data: 510,000 words | $24.99 | Published in January 2013.
     ¶ Older edition: The 2011 edition, which does not include the novel Law of Vengeance, remains available at the following bookstores for $19.99: (multiformat) | |   | |
     ¶ Reviews (may include spoilers): Goodreads | iTunes | Smashwords.

VOLUME CONTENTS

Law Links

Few events are more thrilling in a young man's life than a blood feud between two villages. Or so Adrian thought.

Torn between affection toward his traditional-minded father and worship of his peace-loving, heretical priest, Adrian finds himself caught between two incompatible visions of his duty to the gods. Then the Jackal God sends Adrian a message that will disrupt his life and send him fleeing from a danger he knows too well.

     ¶ Buy or sample the e-book: Online preview of Law Links | (HTML) | (PDF) | | | Also available in The Three Lands: an omnibus of fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula.
     ¶ Data: 160,000 words | $8.99 | Published in April 2011.
     ¶ Reviews: None yet. If you have thoughts about the story, why not share your perspective with other readers by writing a review at your favorite online bookstore, social network, blog, or website?

VOLUME CONTENTS

God of Vengeance. "Sometimes I feel that he is as mysterious as the gods, and that he is hiding something of vital importance from me. Something that would transform my life."

The Sword. "But what if I were to reverse the picture? What if I were to become the jackal and pursue them?"

God of Mercy. "I felt a deep stillness enter into me then, one I hadn't felt for many weeks – one I hadn't felt since the last time Fenton and I spoke. I understood."

The Bird. "The slaves are a second mystery."

God of Judgment. "'Spies don't fight – remember that.'"

The Balance. "'You asked whether you could do anything for me; now comes the moment when I must take up your offer.'"

Death Mask

For nineteen years, he has survived in an army unit where few soldiers live more than two or three years. Then he finds himself in circumstances where his life is a living hell. Will the soldier who defied death find that life is too great a challenge?

Upcoming. To receive notice of e-book publications and free fiction, subscribe to Dusk Peterson's e-mail list or blog.

VOLUME CONTENTS

Probable Danger Whistle.

Immediate Danger Whistle.

Acknowledgment Whistle.

End of Hunt Whistle (Alive, Dead, and Lost).

Blood Vow

He has taken a blood vow to the Jackal God to bring freedom to his land by killing Koretia's greatest enemy. But what will he do when the enemy becomes his friend?

Thrust into exile and pain, young Andrew has no choice but to accept the friendship of the very person he had vowed to kill. When he returns with his friend to his homeland fifteen years later, though, he finds himself in a land of conflicting loyalties . . . where a vengeful god awaits him.

     ¶ Buy or sample the e-book: Online preview of Blood Vow | (HTML) | (PDF) | | | Also available in The Three Lands: an omnibus of fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula.
     ¶ Data: 120,000 words | $6.99 | Published in July 2009.
     ¶ Reviews (may include spoilers): Goodreads.

VOLUME CONTENTS

The Gods' Land. "I had come to tell him, in the cheerful manner boys have, that our world was about to be destroyed."

Land of the Chara. "'If I were to take him, in three months you would find him thinking and acting like a civilized Emorian. If you know how to discipline a slave, as I do, such transformations are accomplished with ease.'"

The Look of the Chara. "'You have not been raped or killed or enslaved, or watched as your city was destroyed on the orders of the Chara.'"

Land of the Jackal. "'I hope that you do not allow this visit to confuse your carefully acquired Emorian sensibilities as to the proper definition of loyalty.'"

The Eyes of the Jackal. "'The only way in which to bring peace is to find this Koretian rebel-leader and kill him.'"

The God's Land. "'If you cannot serve me, then you must be my captive.'"

Re-creation

What can you give a slave who, by law, can own nothing? That is the question faced by Peter, the fourteen-year-old heir to the throne of an empire. Despite his father's desire that the imperial heir maintain a formal distance from servants, Peter finds himself drawn in friendship to the eleven-year-old boy who serves as his slave.

But a shocking revelation on the eve of the New Year forces Peter to confront his own motives for keeping the slave close by. And that in turn will help him understand the deeper meaning of the gift-giving festival.

A 2008 holiday gift story for Dusk Peterson's readers. Includes major spoilers for Blood Vow.

     ¶ Download the FREE e-book: Online preview of Re-creation | (HTML; voluntary donations accepted) | (PDF; voluntary donations accepted) | (multiformat) | | | |   | |
     ¶ Read the story online:
     ¶ Data: 17,000 words | Free | Published in April 2011.
     ¶ Reviews (may include spoilers): Amazon.

Law of Vengeance

For over twenty years, Lord Carle has told the heir to the Emorian throne that vengeance is only the other side of mercy, and that disobedience and treachery should never be forgiven. Finally it seems that his message has been received. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that Carle should have chosen this moment to break the law.

As war threatens and the foundations of his life crumble, his only hope for rescue lies with a man who has every reason to hate Carle.

     ¶ Buy or sample the e-book: Online preview of Law of Vengeance | (HTML) | (PDF) | |
     ¶ Data: 150,000 words | $7.99 | Published in August 2012.
     ¶ Reviews: None yet. If you have thoughts about the story, why not share your perspective with other readers by writing a review at your favorite online bookstore, social network, blog, or website?

AWARD

Honorable Mention, One Perfect Score category, in the Rainbow Awards 2012.

VOLUME CONTENTS

Introduction of Terms. "For many years, I have wished to make a memoir of my life to pass on to future generations of Emorians who desire to learn what it means to have complete dedication to the Chara and his law. This is not to be the memoir I intended, but I find the time passing slowly here in the Chara's dungeon . . ."

Description. "One does not immediately accuse an ambassador of crimes. I let my sword-hand fall, but I kept the sword at my side . . ."

Justification. "'You may leave your sword with me. The Chara prefers that those who are summoned to his judgment arrive unarmed.'"

Cases. "Three months after the Koretian Ambassador came to the palace, I was bidden to the Chara's quarters and arrived there to find the Chara pacing back and forth against the hearth, his eyes cold with rage."

Sentences. "It was a darkness I could not escape from, a darkness that ate all sound and light, a darkness that filled my lungs and heart so that I could not breathe and I could not feel pain or any other sensation. I knew that I had brought this darkness down upon myself . . ."

Sacrifice. "What I could give him now was small in comparison to what he had given me."

Bard of Pain

In the battle-weary lands of the Great Peninsula, only one fate is worse than being taken prisoner by the Lieutenant: being taken prisoner if you are the Lieutenant.

As the world's most skilled torturer struggles with his change of fortune, he finds that his fate is intertwined with the destinies of an idealistic army commander, an affectionate prisoner, and a protégé who reveres the Lieutenant's art . . . but is on the wrong side of the conflict.

     ¶ Buy or sample the e-book: Online preview of Bard of Pain | (HTML) | (PDF) | | | Also available in The Three Lands: an omnibus of fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula.
     ¶ Order or download the braille and DAISY editions:
     ¶ Data: 38,000 words | $3.99 | Published in March 2008.
     ¶ Reviews (may include spoilers): Amazon | Goodreads.

VOLUME CONTENTS

The Darkness. "The beginning of the end for him (or so it seemed at the time) came in the moment that he stepped into the shadow of Capital Mountain and was assaulted by a stranger."

The Fire. "He was on fire."

Mystery

Three days ago he faced death by fire. Now he faces a bigger challenge.

Made a priest at age thirteen and then elevated to the high rank of City Priest when he was twenty, Prosper has long held a position of tremendous power. But a terrible misstep causes him to break the God's Law which governs the Northern Peninsula. Now he is in exile from the God's Law: any man who meets Prosper is free to murder him.

A friend has sent Prosper to a protector . . . but can that protector shield Prosper, not only from potential killers, but from the consequences of the exiled priest's unacknowledged demons?

     ¶ Buy or sample the e-book: Online preview of Mystery | (HTML) | (PDF) | | Also available in The Three Lands: an omnibus of fantasy novels set in the Great Peninsula.
     ¶ Data: 27,000 words | $3.99 | Published in August 2012.
     ¶ Reviews: None yet. If you have thoughts about the story, why not share your perspective with other readers by writing a review at your favorite online bookstore, social network, blog, or website?

Map and series resources

Shared Universes: Works set in the Three Lands world by other authors and artists.

Map of the Three Lands.

Introduction to The Three Lands. Three paragraphs summarizing the series.

Chronology of the Three Lands of the Great Peninsula. A timeline, periodically updated. Includes spoilers for Three Lands stories already published.

Pronunciation Guide to Proper Names. Includes an MP3 file.

Peter's Family Tree. An Emorian royal genealogy for the period of the Late Charas. Includes minor spoilers for Law Links and Blood Vow.

Awards and reviews

Listed on a separate page.

[ HOME ] [ E-mail ]

This text, or a variation on it, was originally published at duskpeterson.com as part of the series The Three Lands. Copyright © 2002-2012 Dusk Peterson. Some rights reserved. The text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0). You may freely print, post, e-mail, share, or otherwise distribute the text for noncommercial purposes, provided that you include this paragraph. The author's policies on derivative works and fan works are available online (duskpeterson.com/copyright.htm).

E-bookstore logos are provided for the sake of identifying e-book links and are not intended to indication affiliation with the e-bookstores.

Cover designs: Dusk Peterson. Permission is granted for the reposting and reprinting of the banner, covers, and story summaries for the purposes of providing information on Dusk Peterson's writings. Please link to duskpeterson.com if possible.