Derek Prior

Sword of the Archon - Templum Knight Derek Prior

"Shader is a triumph of fantasy!" (Journal of Always)

"Derek Prior always produces masterpieces of storytelling, with great characters full of life, relentless plots, and gripping and intense fight scenes." (Mitchell Hogan)




When a powerful artifact is stolen from the Abbey of Pardes, the holy knight Deacon Shader is sent to retrieve it.

But events have already spiraled out of control: plague spreads across the land, the dead rise from their graves, and an ancient evil has awakened.

As Creation itself hangs by a thread, Shader must confront the contradiction that defines him:

Either he is a man of prayer with a wavering faith,

Or the deadliest warrior of his generation.

The fate of all the worlds will be decided by his answer.




"Like Bernard Cornwell on 'shrooms!" (Dinorah Wilson)




"... an epic fantasy across three books that is wild, fast-paced, has fantastic characters, spreads across countries as well as worlds and religions, and is absolutely one of the best fantasy trilogies in existence." (Melinda LeBaron)