RP Books is proud to introduce our 20th anniversary ultimate edition--a premium trade paperback for the discerning reader. Featuring an exclusive Art of Ruin Mist insert with illustrations from original paintings, and many extraordinary extras, this powerful fantasy novel will delight even the most demanding fantasy enthusiast! "A prolific non-fiction writer, Stanek's focus on instruction influences his fiction with a penchant for clear and simple prose. He also prefers swift, action-oriented scenes. Solidly built." -- Foreword Magazine. "This wonderful adventure reminds me of a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Tad Williams, and C. S. Lewis." "Robert Stanek is one of our most featured and respected authors." -- The Audio Book Store "Word of mouth turned it into a bestseller. Very satisfying." -- The Fantasy Guide "Recommended series."-- Ancient Art of Faery Magick "Stanek augments the beginning of this complex tale with illustrations that are sure to attract fans of graphic novels and classic Tolkien alike." -- VOYA - the leading magazine for YA librarians. "The world of literary fiction featuring elves and fairies has a multitude of great authors... [and] Robert Stanek is one." -- The Complete Idiots Guide to Elves and Fairies Discover a magical world and be swept away in the adventure of a lifetime! After the Great War that divided the peoples, the kingdoms of men plunged into a Dark Age that lasted 500 years. To heal the lands and restore the light, the great kings decreed that magic and all that is magical, be it creature, man, or device, shall be cleansed to dust. The cleansing raged for so long that no human could recall a time without it and it is in this time that the Dark Lord Sathar returned from the dark beyond. The one hope of the peoples of Ruin Mist was Queen Mother, the elf queen of old. She saw a way out of everlasting darkness, a path that required the union of the divided peoples. And so it began. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A gifted and distinguished writer, respected and skilled teacher and recipient of our nation's highest flying honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Robert Stanek wrote over 200 books of both fiction and nonfiction in his 30-year career. Although his works were published and/or distributed by nearly every major US publisher, Robert operated against the grain and became the first breakout author of the digital publishing movement. The first to serialize an ebook, the first to e-author a bestseller, and the first to e-author a digital audio bestseller. Robert is the recipient of multiple awards recognizing his outstanding contributions and excellence in writing, and a recent nominee for a Lifetime Achievement award. Translated into 57 languages, Robert Stanek's books have sold nearly 20 million copies worldwide. Achievements for Robert Stanek's Ruin Mist books... #1 Fiction, Audible (12 weeks, 2005) Top 50 Sci-fi/Fantasy, Amazon (26 weeks, 2002) Top 10 Fiction, Audible (25 weeks, 2005) Top 50 Fiction, Audible (52 weeks, 2005-2006) Top 10 Kids & YA, Audible (180 weeks, 2005-2007) #1 Featured Book Audible June-July 2005 Featured in Cover Story, Publisher's Weekly (2009) Featured in VOYA (2007) Featured in Complete Idiots Guide to Elves and Fairies (2005) Featured in Ancient Art of Faery Magick (2005) Popular Series Fiction for Middle School and Teen Readers (2005, 2008) Top 10 Recommended Author -- SciFi Bookcase (2004 - 2012) Top 10 Book -- SciFi Bookcase (2004 - 2012) Top 20 Author -- RateItAll (2005 - 2012) A Top 100 Fantasy -- The Fantasy 100 (2005 - 2007)