Ty Johnston
various ebook formats, 0.99 (Kindle, I think this is a temporary price; Ty, correct me if I'm wrong on this) - $2.99 (Nook)
This book was a lot of fun. It was a good, old fashioned fantasy adventure novel, the first of a trilogy. I enjoyed it immensely.
Johnston does an outstanding job of juggling a fairly large cast of characters for such a short book, imbuing each of them with their own personality and characteristics. They include Kron, a young boy he befriends, his friend the city guard sergeant, a healer and his wizard mentor, the crime lord Belgar the Liar and four of his henchmen, and two swords for hire. That he is able to develop the characters to the depth that he does while maintaining the relentless pace speaks well of his ability as a writer. Along the way he drops tidbits about the greater world, its history and geography. And he does it all without harming any swans.
Here's the basic setup:
