Runelords, #2: Brotherhood of the Wolf

Farland's is a world where lords and ladies achieve greatness through the use of forcibles, which allow them to take attributes from their subjects - attributes such as strength, wit, grace, and stamina. But such magic lends itself to abuse. In The Runelords, Raj Ahtan used enough forcibles to transform himself into the ultimate warrior: The Sum of All Men. Ahtan sought to bring all of humanity under his rule - destroying anyone that stood in his path, including many friends and allies of young Prince Gaborn. But Gaborn fulfilled a 2,000-year-old prophecy, becoming the Earth King, a mythic figure who can unleash the forces of the Earth itself. And now the struggle continues in Brotherhood of the Wolf. Gaborn has managed to drive off Raj Ahtan, but Ahtan is far from defeated. As they weaken each other's forces in battle, the armies of an ancient and implacable enemy issue forth from the very bowels of the Earth.