J. D. Oswald

Fleeing the vengeful Inquisitor Melyn, Sir Benfro is drawn to the last resting place of a great dragon of legend, Magog, deep in the ancient forest. Through Magog's spirit, Benfro discovers the true nature of his forebears - a history of unimaginable power and mystery over mankind. But with this knowledge comes terrible danger. Errol Ramsbottom's dreams of becoming a great Warrior Priest have been shattered by his discovery of the dark secret of the Holy Order's power. And yet as a chosen noviciate he is trapped, unwillingly drawn deeper into the sinister plans for war which will engulf Gwlad. With the forces of magic gathering so the destinies of Errol and Sir Benfro further entwine . . .

The Rose Cord

The Ballard of Sir Benfro Book Four The war across the Twin Kingdoms rages on. Captured by the travelling circus, Sir Benfro is unable to shake a control more powerful than Magog's malign influence. Queen Beulah has killed one sister and ordered the assassination of another. The Inquisitor Melyn journeys though the northlands of Llanwennog in a merciless bid to overthrow her bitter opponent, King Ballah. Now in possession of Brynceri's ring, Melyn's power seems indestructible. Nothing can stop the invasion. But one voice can be heard in the darkness. Errol Ramsbottom, left for dead, follows the trail of his friend's captors. For only Benfro holds the key to Errol's beloved Martha's whereabouts. And when the ancient spell that split Gwlad begins to unravel, Benfro and Errol find that it may be safer to travel to Gog's terrifying world than remain in their own. Both sides are set on a path of destruction. Unlikely alliances form. As dragon is pitted against dragon, king against queen, man against man, what will happen when the barrier between the two worlds finally falls?

The Ballad of Sir Benfro

The Broken World

Queen Beulah is determined to have her war, despatching Inquisitor Melyn north, through the ancient forest to cross unseen into the land of her enemies. Battling the ever growing influence of Magog, Benfro struggles to resist the treacherous orders of the long dead Dragon Mage, a task made yet more difficult by the arrival of Errol in his forest refuge. His body broken, Errol is tormented by dreams of his beloved Martha, imprisoned in a Golden Cage. He has escaped from King Ballah's torture chamber but remains powerless to help her. Yet fate has united these two. Errol holds the key to halting Magog's influence, and Benfro has the skill to heal broken bones. Working together they might survive. Apart, they will surely perish, and all Gwlad with them.

The Golden Cage

The Obsidian Throne is J.D. Oswald's stunning conclusion to 'The Ballad of Sir Benfro' series. There is no war in the northlands, just annihilation. Either the dragons will destroy this world or Queen Beulah will raze it to the ground. Below the city is a secret the House of Balwen have kept for millennia, a treasure beyond imagination. None but a direct descendent of Balwen himself can open the escape routes from this cavern. To do so, Princess Iolwen will need to claim the Obsidian Throne. Meanwhile Errol and Sir Benfro find their destinies drawing closer together, with the future of all life in the Twin Kingdoms resting on these two unlikely heroes. There will be self-sacrifice and terrible betrayals. And the lives of boy and dragon will be forever changed. J. D. Oswald is the author of the epic fantasy series 'The Ballad of Sir Benfro', which includes Dreamwalker, The Rose Cord, The Golden Cage, The Broken World and The Obsidian Throne. He is also the author of the Inspector McLean series. James runs a 350-acre farm in north-east Fife.

Ballad of Sir Benfro

The Obsidian Throne

Spring, 1985. Twelve year old Phoebe MacDonald's world is falling apart.

She has just buried her parents, a fire at their family home claiming both in a freak accident. Now she must leave Scotland, the only place she has ever known, and go to live with her uncle Louis and aunt Maude in their home in the Welsh woods.

As spring turns to summer, Phoebe falls slowly into the rhythm of life with her eccentric guardians in their curious home. But there is no one her age in the nearby village, and she is lonely until she meets a strange girl, Gwyneth, who wanders the surrounding forest barefoot and alone.

Outsiders both, the two girls form a strong bond, though nobody else seems to believe that Gwyneth is real. Phoebe knows better, and soon with her new friend's help, she begins to see the woods for what they truly are - a place of magic and wonder, where the line between life and death is blurred. Where spirits roam and secrets fester.

Something happened here, a lifetime ago. A wrong that yearns to be put right. The answer is within Phoebe's grasp, but will revealing it put her in grave danger?

J. D. Oswald

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