The Last Vigilant - (Kingdom of Oak and Steel) by Mark A Latham (Paperback)

About the Book

"Shunned by the soldiers he commands, haunted by past tragedies, Sargent Holt Hawley is a broken man. But the child of a powerful ally has gone missing, and war between once peaceful nations is on the horizon. So, he and his squad have been sent to find a myth: the Vigilant. They are a rumored last survivor of an ancient order capable of performing acts of magic, and they've been lost to the world for decades. No one truly expects Hawley to succeed. When he is forced to abandon his men, he stumbles upon a woman who claims to be the Last Vigilant. Enelda Drake is wizened and out of practice, and she seems a far cry from the heroes of legend. But they will need her powers, and each other, to survive. For nothing in the town of Scarfell is as it seems. Corrupt soldiers and calculating politicians thwart their efforts at every turn. And there are dark whispers on the wind threatening the arrival of an ancient and powerful enemy. The Last Vigilant is not the only myth returning from the dead"--

Book Synopsis

An out-of-practice wizard and an outcast soldier are thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to unravel their kingdom's fragile peace in this gripping epic fantasy from a standout new voice.

★ "A wonderful tale set within a well-drawn fantastical world. I loved it." -- John Gwynne, New York Times bestselling author

★ "A page-turning mix of mystery and epic fantasy." -- Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

★ "This book crawled out of the deepest, darkest woods with violence in its heart." -- Jackson Ford, author of The Bone Raiders

War between once-peaceful nations is on the horizon, and the child of a powerful ally is missing. Now Holt Hawley, an outcast soldier, has been sent to find a myth: a Vigilant, one of the last survivors of an ancient and powerful order whose magic could be key to finding the child. But the Vigilants disappeared long ago. No one truly expects him to succeed.

Then, in a fabled forest, he stumbles upon a woman who claims to be the last Vigilant. Enelda Drake is wizened and out of practice, and she seems a far cry from the heroes of legend. But they will need her powers, and each other, to survive. For nothing in their kingdom is as it seems. Corrupt soldiers and calculating politicians thwart their efforts at every turn.

And there are dark whispers on the wind, threatening the arrival of a primordial and powerful enemy. The Vigilant is not the only myth returning from the dead.

The Last Vigilant begins an epic fantasy trilogy where legends are forged and reforged, where the line between ally and enemy is razor thin, and where the only people holding the darkness of monsters and men at bay are the few who choose to stand fast.

Review Quotes

"A genuinely intriguing mystery, genuinely harrowing fights, and a lovingly intricate setting."--Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Sword Defiant

"A wonderful tale set within a well-drawn fantastical world. I loved it."--John Gwynne, New York Times bestselling author

"Latham, known for his steampunk novels and Sherlock Holmes pastiches, skillfully brings his knack for plotting mysteries and investigations into an epic fantasy setting. The multilayered machinations and propulsive pacing will grip readers, but the book's greatest strength lies in its characters ... With warmongering, political intrigue, and themes of standing up for the weak, this marks the start of a compelling fantasy series that is perfect for fans of David Dalglish and Justin Lee Anderson."

--Library Journal

"Latham uses his incredible world-building skills and all-consuming storytelling style to bring the reader deep into the village of Scarfell, where politics, magic, and corruption collide in a world-shaking explosion ... In a genre where tropes can be overused, Latham is an adept at creating sympathetic characters and reinventing fantasy in a way that will have influence on many books after The Last Vigilant."--Booklist (starred review)

"This book crawled out of the deepest, darkest woods with violence in its heart. A terrific new world by a master fantasy author. I loved it."--Jackson Ford, author of The Bone Raiders

"David Gemmell meets The Name of the Rose in a page-turning mix of mystery and epic fantasy."--Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Mark A. Latham is a writer, editor, history nerd, frustrated grunge singer, and amateur baker from Staffordshire, UK. An immigrant to rural Nottinghamshire, he lives with his wife and dog in a very old house (sadly not haunted). Formerly the editor of Games Workshop's White Dwarf magazine, Mark writes for tabletop and video games, and is an author of strange, fantastical and macabre tales.