Most heroes are guided by wise, white-bearded mentors. Frodo had Gandalf. Harry Potter had Dumbledore. Even King Arthur had Merlin.
Luka Vernik, the young warrior at the center of The Vengeful Warrior Trilogy, isn’t so fortunate.
Instead, he finds himself stuck with Reishi, an eccentric, sharp-tongued wizard who seems far more interested in draining bottles of golden rum than aiding in epic quests. Reishi doesn’t offer sage advice or noble speeches. What he offers is sarcasm, unpredictability, and the occasional headache.
When Luka first tries to enlist him to join his revenge-fueled mission against the Zlikrej brothers, the conversation goes like this:
“I’m more than happy staying here and satisfying myself with rum. Not a lot of things I’d rather do, quite frankly.”
“Do you even hear the madness spewing out of your lips?” Luka asked, his voice now raising. “I am offering you unimaginable amounts of money and power. And all you want is to drink?”
“Yes. What’s wrong with that?”
Reishi is not the kind of ally Luka imagined. He mocks royalty, shirks responsibility, and drags their journey through Estravia at a sluggish, meandering pace. He’s irreverent, chaotic, and infuriatingly unfazed by the weight of Luka’s mission. Yet beneath the sarcasm and flippant demeanor lies a man of real power—a wizard whose grasp of magic might be the only thing that stands between Luka and total ruin.
Because Luka’s enemies aren’t ordinary men. The Zlikrej brothers are carving a bloody path across Estravia, determined to reclaim a throne they believe is rightfully theirs. Privus, the youngest and most dangerous of the three, wields a staff of ancient elemental power—one he used to unleash hell upon Luka’s home city of Vernikport.
Luka knows he cannot face such power alone. Reishi may be reluctant, drunk, and endlessly aggravating—but he is also his only hope.
The question is: when the time comes, will Reishi stand and fight… or vanish with the next bottle?
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The Road of Vultures, the thrilling debut novel by Albert Lord and the first installment of The Vengeful Warrior Trilogy, is a gritty epic fantasy that plunges readers into the war-torn kingdom of Estravia. Follow Prince Luka Vernik as he battles for vengeance against the ruthless Zlikrej brothers—Omarius, Privus, and Drugi—who seek to seize the throne. From the blood-soaked ambush in the Shredry Forest to the fall of the impregnable city of Exeter, Lord crafts a world of dark magic, political intrigue, and complex characters, where every victory carries a cost. With its cinematic action, morally gray heroes, and a richly imagined setting, The Road of Vultures is a must-read for fans of George R.R. Martin and action-packed fantasy, promising an epic saga that will keep you hooked until the final page.