From the first page, The Imperium Saga: The Impending Storm, grabs your attention with a vise-like grip and doesn’t loosen it even after you’ve finished the final paragraph. This new fantasy thriller by first-time novelist Clifford B. Bowyer takes you on a mythic journey into a richly detailed world like none you have ever known.

Bowyer’s deft storytelling abilities shine as he details the adventures of Warlord Braksis, Empress Karleena, and the Madrew elf Kai. These heroes seek to unravel a conspiracy that will impact the lives of the Seven Kingdoms, or the Imperium as it is better known, forevermore.

The book begins with the foreshadowing of an ancient evil as the Madrew elves, an ancient and noble civilization themselves, have abandoned their homeland as an insatiable force swept the land and left only desolate destruction in their wake. The few fortunate survivors look to the child of prophecy as their savior, a twelve-year-old girl known to them as the Chosen One. A trio of volunteers is sent to the Seven Kingdoms to find and protect the child until she is old enough to fulfill her destiny.

The Imperium is beset by a multitude of skirmishes with its dissatisfied citizens. A young Empress, Karleena, has recently claimed the throne after the assassination of her father. Though she craves peace and prosperity for the land, where all citizens are equals regardless of their station, the revolts have escalated to the brink of war.

Warlord Braksis, a defender of the Empress, finds himself thrust into battle after battle to preserve the Imperium. From the Dartian Plains where the Imperial Army confronts a legion of rebelling hunters, to a three-headed reptilian creature, to a Shadow Mage, Braksis must persevere or all may be lost.

During his trials, Braksis will ally himself with the Madrew elf Kai, as well as other heroes of the realm. He soon learns that the plight of the Imperium may have origins more sinister than dissatisfied citizens – a single tyrant, Zoldex, may be behind the revolts and attacks throughout the Imperium.

In several confrontations of good versus evil, Braksis, Karleena, and Kai find themselves in grave danger. At every turn, a new danger emerges to bar their path and make the future of the Imperium look bleak. Will the forces of Zoldex win out? The enigmatic ending gives fantasy fans future books in this series to look forward to.

In this fascinating first volume, Bowyer has created a magnificent world that is palpable and believable. The Imperium Saga: The Impending Storm is an enthralling tale that skillfully draws readers into an enchanting society of heroes and hooligans, magic and monsters.