The Sum of All Men
Four days before Hostenfest, the young Prince Gaborn Val Orden enters the city of Bannisferre incognito. He is expected to marry the Crown Princess, Iome, to cement their lands alliance, but soon events overtake such plans.
Raj Ahten, Wolf Lord of the Southern Lands, is invading the Northern kingdoms of Rofehaven to increase his power bas as a prelude to facing the barbarian hordes of Inkarra. To the northerners there seems little difference between the two enemies. Before there is time for old alliances to be reforged – or for a new alliances to be born – Raj Ahten has taken an entire kingdom and is moving northward... thanks to the "endowments" of wit, brawn and glamour he has drawn vampire-lile, from the conquered masses.
Gaborn and Iome are amongst those who continue to oppose Raj Ahten's seemingly unstoppable conquest as a world goes to war and the powers of the Earth King are woken...
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David Farland
David Farland, a pseudonym for Dave Wolverton, was a writer whose influence stretched across multiple generations of science fiction and fantasy authors. Born in 1957 in the United States, Farland’s life journey was anything but ordinary. Before dedicating himself to writing full-time, he wore many hats — from working as a prison guard to serving as a missionary, to managing a business, and even baking pies. Each of these diverse experiences helped shape the distinctive voice that would captivate readers across the globe.
The Runelords
In the epic Runelords series, a world on the brink of collapse is shaped by a unique and perilous magic—one where the power of individuals can be stolen, traded, or stolen away. At the heart of this universe lies a system of “runelords,” individuals who hold unimaginable power by bearing marks, or runes, that grant them extraordinary abilities. But this power comes with a cost: the ability to capture the essence of others, to borrow their strength, intellect, and even their very life force. In this fragile balance of domination and survival, every decision has profound consequences, and every alliance may come at a dire price.
The Runelords consists of eight primary books, and includes two additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
David Farland's The Sum of All Men is the first book of the long running The Runelords saga. I know that this book is anything but perfect, but it was nice to read a bit different kind of epic fantasy for a change. The world and the plot is interesting, but the writing is a bit weak and it's easy to see that Farland isn't used to writing high fantasy. The Sum of All Men is a readable (but not enjoyable) fantasy book and the events move forward with a fast pace. In my opinion Farland could've spent more time writing about the world and the characters, because it seemed to me that he hadn't thought about certain things at all.