The first novel in question is FireDrakes, the debut volume of a new fantasy series, Chronicles of the Daemon Knights. Like many great fantasies, there is the veritable pitting of good against evil. In FireDrakes, the evil, and therefore the danger, comes from an ambitious emperor and a sorceress who is in command of a flight of female firedrakes, creatures we know as dragons, who have the potential of laying waste to any kingdom in Korinetz' created world. Aldus, a sorcerer, enlists the aid of the Daemon Knights, an order of men who have not seen a dragon in several lifetimes, but who bear the image of one on their standards. Skilled warriors, they make for Drakenmount, the remote lair of the sorceress and her she-dragons. Along the way, they suffer a number of hardships, battle fierce, dwarf-like Imperial soldiers and an enormous firedrake, and lose their leader. Rodney, a young, but seasoned knight, assumes command and finally confronts not only the sorceress but the emperor himself. Rodney becomes torn between what he has been told and what he has seen for himself, especially the beauty of the young sorceress.

The ending’s twists and turns lay the groundwork for the next book, which Korinetz is working on currently. You can be sure the adventures of the Daemon Knights will be detailed with medieval weaponry and siege engines as well as new fantasy creatures. Korientz has created not only dragons, wizards, elves, halflings, a swamp witch, and were-men, but also the mysterious Kelatch natives, small beings who are expert trackers and who can kill with poison blow darts. Of course, he has the required number of knights and lords and high-born ladies. Among the nobility and the curious fantasy-kin, he also brings to life ordinary folk: Robin, the farmer turned soldier and hero, and Morton, the squire afraid of horses. All are a delight to discover and come to know.

I look forward to the Daemon Knights' further adventures in the next book when it comes out.