Eternity's Gate
About
The evil they buried was never truly dead - only waiting.
A great evil rose to divide and conquer the Guildlands, and only an uneasy alliance between the Four Clans, the Druids, and the mysterious Dur’i — the Eternal Ones — was strong enough to seal it away. For nearly five hundred years, peace has reigned.
But peace is a fragile thing.
Caedus, heir to his clan’s seat of power, has spent his life preparing to inherit authority, not to inherit a war. When whispers of demons and devastation begin to surface, they strike far closer to home than courtly rumor should. Soon, Caedus finds himself ensnared in a deadly web of espionage, betrayal, and forbidden magic, where allies wear masks and enemies move unseen.
As ancient seals weaken and darkness stirs once more, the Guildlands stand on the brink of ruin. To save his people, Caedus must decide: will he accept the mantle of leadership he has long resisted — or watch everything he loves be consumed by a rising shadow older and more ruthless than legend?
The coming darkness will not wait.
Praise for this book
Eternity's Gate by J.C. Wines introduces a world known as the Guildlands, composed of four clans living under a fragile alliance for the sake of a peace made ages ago to keep a powerful evil from destroying them. Guildsman heir Caedus Windred and his gifted Guardian, Tyro, are devastated when Caedus’s father, Ewen, is murdered. The assassination is a rupture in the Accords, the ancient blood oaths that bind humans, Druids, and the Dur’i, and the same Accords that have kept the dark lord, Derroth, locked away behind Eternity's Gate. Now, the ancient prison weakens, and dark shadows begin to surface again. Caedus must accept the leadership he never wanted to save his people, as the Dark Lord smiles in anticipation of his eventual release. Can Caedus rally every clan behind him for an inevitable battle that will determine the future of the Guildlands?
There is so much to relish in Eternity’s Gate, and the author crafts a magnetic cast of characters. Caedus caught my attention, first depicted as a carefree man who is weary of his father’s politics and a drunken womanizer who doesn’t like responsibility. Crisis forces him to grow into a leader willing to name his sword Nathéoir, meaning redemption. The atmospheric worldbuilding offers compelling imagery like the misty Druid Forest, the lavender-scented colonnades of the Temple of Oriah, and the carnivorous swamp of Bur’oad. J.C. Wines’ magical world is exciting to explore, and the system of Eternity’s flow is just as imaginative as the tangled plot points. The pacing is fast, and the author offers multiple perspectives that create suspense, propelling the plot forward through political machinations and intrigue into explosive action. This epic fantasy is a winner, thanks to the exceptional storytelling, the compelling characters, and the detailed setting.