Ghost King

by David Gemmel Book 1 in the Stones of Power series.

First published 1988

Amazon

4.6(1,415)

Britannia has fallen into disorder after a king is murdered and the Sword of Power vanishes beyond the Circle of Mist. Invasion and rebellion spread while the Witch Queen and the Lord of the Undead manipulate the collapse for their own purposes.

The surviving royal heir appears too weak to restore the realm, but he carries the blood of kings and gains the protection of Culain, the legendary Lord of the Lance. Their quest for the sword becomes a struggle against betrayal, sorcery and the forces trying to end the kingdom before a new ruler can emerge.