The Mage Wars Trilogy

Title: The Black Gryphon Authors: Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon Publisher: DAW Books, USA Date of Publication: 1995 Details: Paperback, 336 pages ISBN: 0613630173

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Skandranon Rashkae is everything a gryphon should be, wtih gleaming ebony feathers, majestic wingspan, keen magesight, and sharp intelligence, he is the fulfillment of all that the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm - a verdant plain long coveted by the evil mage Ma'ar. And now, as Ma'ar is once again preparing to advance on Urtho's Keep, this time with a huge force spearheaded by magical constructs of his own, Skandranon is sent to spy across enemy lines, cloaked in the protection of Urtho's powerful Spell of Silence. As days pass and Skandranon doesn't return, all in Urtho's camp wait anxiously. But there is one among them for whom the possible loss of this great bird will be more than just a major military defeat. Amberdrake - a Healer of body, mind, and spirit whose talents are as essential to the army as those of any general - waits on the landing strip with anguish in his heart. For Amberdrake has come to value the vain, cocksure, and brave Skandranon as his closest friend and comrade, and he now fears that this prince of Gryphons may never return...

Title: The White Gryphon Authors: Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon Publisher: DAW Books, USA Date of Publication: 1996 Details: Paperback, ISBN: 0886776821

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It has been ten years since the magical Cataclysm which destroyed the stronghold of the world's most powerful Mage, killing Urtho, creator of the gryphons, and sending his forces into exile. It had taken Urtho's peoples one year of terrible travail crossing dangerous lands to find a sheltered haven, and nine hard years of building, but their city, called White Gryphon, is now a secure stronghold. Secure, at least, until the fleet of the mysterious Black Kings' appears in their harbour, bringing envoys who inform the residents of White Gryphon that their newfound sanctuary lies on land claimed by this powerful kingdom. Desperate not to lose their hard-won home, Skandranon Rashkae, the Black Gryphon, along with his longtime friend, Amberdrake, agree to accompany the envoys back to the court of the Black Kings, hoping to negotiate an alliance. But once settled in this strange court, Skandranon and Amberdrake quickly become aware that this negotiation will not be an easy one. And when the high-ranking noble who opposes this alliance is found murdered - seemingly torn apart by gryphon's talons - Skandranon and Amberdrake realize that they are up against unknown enemies who will stop at nothing, even the use of diabolical Blood Magic, to destroy White Gryphon.

Title: The Silver Gryphon Authors: Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon Publisher: New Amer Library Date of Publication: 1996 Details: Hardback, 322 pages ISBN: 0886776848

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A dozen years of peace have passed in the city of White Gryphon - but the inhabitants of this hard-won haven have not forgotten their struggles, and have trained an elite guard force, the Silver Gryphons, to protect their city. Skandranon, the Black Gryphon, and Amberdrake the healer, have settled into quiet, comfortable lives. But things are not so tranquil for Silverblade, Drake's daughter, and Tadrith, Skandranon's son. Anxious to prove themselves, and despite their parents' very real concerns, they have enlisted in the Silvers. After two years of rigorous training, Blade and Tad are finally given their first solo assignment - a remote gaurd post in wild, largely unexplored territory. Everything seems auspicious as Tad and Blade set off in the air, but three days out from White Gryphon disaster strikes - the two young guards plummet from the sky to the deep jungle below, struck down by an unseen enemy. Lost and badly injured, the desperate partners take stock of their situation: all their spell-fueled equipment - including their only means of communication - is inoperable, drained of all magic. But their troubles are just beginning. For in the dark of the tropical rain forest which surrounds them waits a nameless terror which even their fathers could never have envisioned...