"Time of Troubles" by Vladimir Torin and Oleg Yakovlev, summary

This book is a dark fantasy novel published in 2010. The narrative weaves together the destinies of humans, elves, dwarves, and necromancers, revealing the complex motivations of the villains against the backdrop of an impending all-out war between the kingdom of Ronstrad and the army of the dead. It is the first book in the "Chronicles of the Broken Mirror" series. Other works in the series include "The Raven’s Heart," "Where the False Faces Lie," "Masks of the Black Harlequin," and "Martlet and the Serpent."

The beginning of the invasion

Events begin in the southern city of Elagon. Archmage Tian awaits an attack by the Cursed Legion, composed of dark mages and the undead. The armada is led by the Black Lord Dekker Gordem. The old sorcerer prevents the silent sorcerer Lorgar the Crimson from stealthily infiltrating the magical Heart of Elagon. The necromancer manages to close an ancient seal on his own blood. Soon, the undead army approaches the vast Sinena Bridge, spanning a wide river.

The Archmage sends a cartographic expedition into the elven forests of Concra. The scholar Rinen discovers an ancient temple to the goddess Tyene. Ignoring the warnings of the forest spirit, the old man steals the artifact — the Cup of Time. The enraged elves slaughter the squad. Only the mercenary commander, Serginar Rawne, manages to escape, taking the Cup with him. The mercenary is seriously wounded by a poisoned elven needle.

The Fall of Elagon

A brutal battle unfolds on the Sinena Bridge. Captain Renner valiantly leads the human defense, holding back the legionnaires, but perishes under a hail of enemy arrows. The necromancer Corrin the White Death casts a thick cloud of melancholy upon the royal soldiers, sapping their will to resist. Grand Master of the Order of the Golden-Eyed Lion, Evian Mitternail, leads a heavy cavalry charge. The illusions of the dark mage Anin the Sinful frighten the knights’ horses, which trample their riders, forcing Mitternail to declare a retreat.

Tian sends his son Graenar to conjure a tornado. Dekker seizes control of the hurricane. The mercenary northern berserker D’eldir breaks through to Dekker, attempting to strike the commander with a massive two-handed sword. The barbarian is defeated by the blades of Dorian Twilight, a former knight who has turned to the dark side. Seeing his son’s death, the Archmage loses his mind. The old man unleashes a wall of roaring fire upon the plain, incinerating thousands of skeletons and destroying siege catapults. Other wizards forcibly drag the maddened old man to safety. The undead smash through the barricades, breach the gates, and capture Elagon.

Dark Ritual

Dekker’s legions decimate the city’s population. The survivors retreat along the northern highway to the capital, Gorten. The Black Lord prepares to perform a massive ritual to create a colossal pentagram to raise sixty thousand zombies. Arsen Bloodspindle dissuades the leader from using the Forbidden Spell, fearing for his friend’s sanity.

Corrin, Magnus Greyeyes, and Revelian conspire to overthrow Dekker. The loyal Lorgar Crimson attempts to stop the conspirators, unleashing a barrage of destructive spells. Dorian Twilight impales the mute mage with two swords. The Black Lord completes the ritual, transforming into a winged demon, and collapses from magical exhaustion. The rebels seal Dekker in a stone vault and lock Arsen in a chest. Corrin self-proclaims himself the new master of the armada.

The Path of the Captives

In retaliation for the stolen Chalice, the elves attack human border outposts. Forest warriors capture the centurion, Lognir Arvest. The elven ruler, Vital Estarion, orders Lognir to retrieve the artifact, sending his daughter, Allae Tael, with him. The girl and the centurion travel in the company of Gark, a goblin exiled from the tribe.

The trio escapes an orc ambush and escapes the cannibal witch’s hut by knocking out the keeper. In a steppe tavern, Gark wins two horses at dice. Soon, the heroes are pursued. The bandits corner the fugitives. Lognir is mortally wounded while defending an elf. Allae Tael uses a magic crystal, reversing time by a few seconds. The princess kills the leader of the attackers with a dagger, suffering a severe thermal burn to her hand. The mutilated Lognir survives, and the princess openly confesses her love to the man.

Secret Guard agents led by Seigneur Prevost receive a denunciation of the centurion. The soldiers overtake the heroes on the highway. The elf creates a thick fog, allowing the travelers to evade arrest unnoticed.

Grief and Forgiveness

The refugee train slowly moves north. Evian Mitternail cannot forgive himself for surrendering his hometown. Distraught with guilt, the Grand Master takes a desperate step and leaps from a steep cliff into the river. In the afterlife, the knight meets Dorian the Twilight. Evian asks his former comrade to forgive the order for its past betrayals. Dorian hears the ghostly ringing of bells — the conclave elects the valiant young knight Vincent Akran as the new Grand Master. The dark mage finds peace of mind.

In Gorten, the court jester Shiko descends into the wine cellar of the royal palace of Askhitar. A wine spirit informs him of Elagon’s destruction. The jester tracks down the king’s cousin, Prince Clarence. It turns out the prince is secretly collaborating with necromancers, obtaining strategic information for their enemies and receiving dark potions in exchange.

Underground threat

Deep within the mountain range, the dwarf Thorin Stoneheart drags the bodies of his fallen comrades. The demon Ctuorn Ganet informs him of the breaking of the ancient Seal. Abyssal demons are breaching the dwarfs’ defenses, razing twelve underground bastions to the ground. Fort Theros remains the last stronghold.

Ktuorn offers the dwarves a shaky alliance to overthrow the Abyssal King. The ruler of Theros, Hagir, plans to collapse the cliffs, completely cutting off the demons’ access to the city. The Council of Elders of the Undermountain Kingdom decides to request military assistance from the rulers above ground.

The steppe orc Gryshgan bravely endures the brutal ordeal of the ocean. Having survived a battle with a sea serpent and a vision of an ancient spirit, the warrior becomes the Supreme Chieftain of the orcs and returns to his beloved Urrana.

Messenger of the Magicians

The immortal mage Cartnam the Nameless arrives in the capital. Tian asks him to deliver the Chalice to the elves in Concre. Cartnam touches the artifact and sees colossal statues scattered throughout the world, each containing hidden magical elements. Devastated by the death of his friend’s son, Cartnam agrees to help the Archmage.

In the forest, the mage encounters his former comrade, John Rrier, who has become a ferocious werewolf. Corrin the White Death has subjugated the wolf to his will. Cartnam transforms into a massive beast and immobilizes the werewolf with living tree roots. The old man vows harsh vengeance on the necromancer.

Military Council

King Instreld holds an emergency meeting. The lords actively discuss the empty treasury, the threat of an orcish invasion, and the separatism of the barons of Theal. News of Elagon’s surrender and Mitternail’s suicide plunges the court into profound shock.

Lognir, an elf, and a goblin enter the hall. The princess summons a magical projection of her father. Instreld agrees to return the Chalice in exchange for military support from the forest dwellers. Tian lies, claiming the artifact is safely hidden in the bowels of the palace.

Jester Shiko advises making a treaty with the Undermountain Dwarves. The King dispatches the head of the Order of the Sacred Flame, Ildiar de Not, on a diplomatic mission to the Northern Gate. Captain Arvest and the elf receive official permission to return to Concrete.

The Knight’s Trial

Ildiar, along with representatives of the dwarven merchant guild, sets out east. In his native castle of Sarayn, the knight bids a warm farewell to his father and his fiancée, Isabella. The company continues on toward the snow-capped peaks of the Dor-Tegli Mountains.

In the Twilight Gorge, the ambassadors are attacked by embittered apostate mages and assassins. Ildiar activates his fiery armor and incinerates the attackers. The dwarves furiously hack at the bandits with forged axes, losing one comrade in the bloody battle. The captive confesses that the ambush was orchestrated by necromancers.

Upon reaching the gigantic stone arch of the Gate, Ildiar encounters the Shield of Achan — the mighty dwarf Dwynn. The undermountain guardian openly despises humans and demands a duel. The battle lasts several tense minutes. Ildiar suffers a predictable defeat, succumbing to Dwynn’s incredible strength and speed. The massive gate opens, and the dwarf pronounces, "You shall enter." The wounded knight enters a hidden underground kingdom.