Rigante

Deep in the green mountain lands dwell the proud Rigante, worshiping the gods of nature. Among them is Connavar, a fierce warrior marked by fate, born of the very storm that slew his father. Tales of his courage spread, capturing the attention of the ancient and magical Seidh, who cast a malignant shadow across his life. Soon, a merciless army will cross the water, threatening to destroy the timeless rhythms of the Rigante. Swearing to protect his people, Connavar embarks on a perilous quest into the heart of the enemy. Along the way, he receives a powerful sword, as deadly as the Seidh who forged it. This weapon bestows upon him a new, fearsome name – Demonblade – proclaiming a glorious, yet bitter, destiny for the young warrior.

Bane the Bastard, illegitimate son of Rigante King Connavar "Demonblade," was an outcast, bearing his father's distinctive mark: one tawny brown eye, one emerald green. Denied and feared, Bane was hounded from his homeland. Across the seas, he found acceptance, only for it to be ripped away by a deadly swordsman. Now a gladiator in the Empire's blood-soaked arenas, Bane lives for revenge.

Yet, more hangs in the balance than a young warrior's personal quest. The formidable Armies of the Stone are preparing to march, threatening the lands of the Rigante. The very survival of both human and Seidh hinges on the coming clash of swords, a fate intricately tied to the bitter, twisted bonds of love and resentment between a powerful father and his outcast son.

Eight centuries after King Connavar's victory, the Rigante have lost the freedom and vibrant culture their ancestors died to preserve. Only the Wyrd of Wishing Tree Wood, the last to follow the ancient ways, comprehends the true nature of the evil poised to engulf them. She pins her hope on two disparate men.

One is a giant Rigante fighter, tormented by his past failure to save a friend, who is destined to become the legendary Ravenheart—an outlaw leader whose daring exploits will inspire his subjugated people. The other is a gifted youth whose deadly talents draw the brutal Varlish's rancor. He is fated to forge a legend and light the fires of revolution, reclaiming the Rigante's heritage before it's lost forever to the encroaching darkness.

David Gemmell's Rigante saga, Stormrider, plunges the highland clans into their deadliest threat. Though centuries removed from Connavar's battles for freedom, the Rigante have lost their lands, culture, and magic to the tyrannical Varlish king, Moidart. Only in the north do clansmen remain free, led by the charismatic outlaw Ravenheart, who has sparked a revolution. Yet, a greater peril looms as civil war ravages the south and armies of destruction creep north. Ravenheart prepares to face Moidart's brutal son, Stormrider, in a fated clash. Unbeknownst to these courageous enemies, the world's fate rests on their shoulders. They must unite against an ancient evil and its advancing armies of darkness, as a long-lost secret from the past returns to haunt them. With immense forces arrayed against them, only a few thousand Rigante stand firm.