The Guardian and the Thief (The Thief of Ashlon, #1) / The Thief of Ashlon (ePub)

Talana grew up in the docklands of the capital of Ashlon. Her life was dominated by her brutal father. Learning to steal from an early age, and becoming streetwise and tough, she was never allowed friends, never allowed to go to school, never allowed out for more than a day. Escaping from her father, she is taken in by an underground church dedicated to the old ways, to the Goddess. Here, she meets Darrukin, the son of a provincial lord, who has been revealed as the new Guardian to the Queen.

The Queen has fallen under the spell of the evil God, and her reign is one of blood and terror. Her dragon, bound to her by a deep magic, is all that protects the land from the full force of evil, and it has gone into hiding. Darrukin, as Guardian, is supposed to protect the Queen, but how can he, when she is so evil? The Goddess commands him to take Talana on a quest to find the Heart of the Dragon, a ring that was lost centuries ago by his predecessor. It will unlock his power as a sorcerer, and give him some chance to help save the Queen.

Talana and Darrukin are aided by Keer, and Jeron, two members of the underground church. Keer is a sorcerer, as most of the church hierarchy are, and he undertakes to train Darrukin as much as he can. The four set out on their quest, heading towards the resting place of the queens and guardians, in the hope of finding some clue to whereabouts of the lost ring.

Their adventure takes them over the land of Ashlon, and they not only discover clues that might aid them in their quest, but discover themselves; what they stand for, what's important, what they are willing to fight and die for. They know that it might come to that, and it is a stark choice. If they don't try to help the Queen, no matter how evil she is, they know the whole land of Ashlon will die.