Edge of the Woods

A young man lives among the trees of a primeval forest, raised by a wizened old sage and friend to the faeries and spirits of his home. He bears only half a name—Lien, an ancient word meaning “blade” or “edge”—and no knowledge of his heritage. As he grows, so too does his need for independence and answers. Thus, he begins his adventure, seeking a shattered sword and the truth behind the mysterious mark on his right hand.   To earn his freedom from his adoptive grandfather, Lien will seek to complete the trials of Anathema, a long-hidden weapon of devastating power. To succeed, he must master his own burgeoning power, learning swordplay and magic from fractured figments of ancient legends. Though his training will push him to the brink, failure comes at an even greater cost. For only with his talents fully forged will Lien stand a chance against his true foe: destiny itself.   Set within New York Times–bestselling author Andrew Rowe’s Arcane Ascension universe, and inspired by Japanese manga and role-playing games, Edge of the Woods is the first volume of an epic new fantasy series perfect for fans of The Legend of Zelda.   “Edge of the Woods is an incredibly unique and interesting look into Andrew Rowe’s world that manages to completely capture the whimsical charm of a fairy tale, the heart of found family stories, and the vibrancy of an enchanted forest in one charming book. [It] serves as an amazing introduction to a new continent and characters and may just be Andrew’s best work yet!” —Tobias Begley, author of the Journals of Evander Tailor series   “My friends and family are probably pretty tired of me relentlessly recommending Andrew Rowe’s books to them. But . . . well, they’re about to get another Rowe recommendation with Edge of the Woods, which absolutely rocks. [It] has everything: old school Zelda nostalgia and vibes, sword magic, badass action scenes, more sword magic, an amazing new setting, even more sword magic. . . . Did I mention the sword magic? I really like the sword magic. Swoooooorrrd maaaaaaggggggiiiiiiiccccc.” —John Bierce, author of the Mage Errant series   Praise for Andrew Rowe   “Rowe’s world building is extraordinary and it comes as no surprise that he is a video game designer by trade. . . . I will look forward to watching Rowe’s literary career.” —Fantasy Literature on Sufficiently Advanced Magic   “One of the things I think Rowe does very well is giving us battles that are filled with tension. . . . The fight sequences are highly enjoyable.” —Fantasy Book Review on Six Sacred Swords