The Ring of Five Dragons (The Pearl, Book 1) - Softcover

The Ring of Five Dragons tells the tale of the people of Kundala, who have suffered for 101 years under the oppression of the alien invaders, the V'ornn. The Kundalan people are treated as slaves by the technologically superior and Nazi-like V'ornn, who seek to dominate them and deplete the planet's resources. But even the V'ornn have masters.

The Gyrgon are mysterious technomages who rule the V'ornn and have their own agenda--they want to find the source of the Kundalans' magic. To discover the secret, they must first find the Ring of Five Dragons, which is said to open the Storehouse. It has been written that untold treasures rest in the Storehouse, perhaps including the sacred Pearl. Now only the prophesied Dar Sala-at, who was born at both ends of the cosmos, can save and restore hope to the oppressed Kundalan people.

The Ring of Five Dragons follows the path of many fantasy series, with a prophecy to drive the action and a powerful hero to save the day. However, Lustbader writes rousing action scenes and gives his characters plenty of complex issues to deal with. He nicely switches between the V'ornn intrigue and the struggle of the Dar Sala-at, offering a surprise or two along the way. The Ring of Five Dragons is a satisfying read that sets up a good foundation for the rest of the Pearl series and that includes plenty of untied threads to weave together for future adventures. --Kathie Huddleston

Eric Van Lustbader is the author of numerous New York Times bestselling thrillers and fantasy novels, including Last Snow, First Daughter, Blood Trust, The Ninja and The Pearl series. Lustbader was chosen by Robert Ludlum's estate to continue the Jason Bourne series, and his Jason Bourne novels include The Bourne Legacy and The Bourne Betrayal. Born and raised in Greenwich Village in New York City, Lustbader worked in the New York public school system and in the music business before turning to writing full-time. He lives in Manhattan and on the South Fork of Long Island with his wife, Victoria, who is also an accomplished author.