Marcus Takes Command - Legionnaire Chronicles, #1

Legionnaire is a gritty High Fantasy series set on the borders of the far-flung Republic of Aquila. While political in-fighting and scheming are the order of the day in the heart of the Republic, the borderlands are awash with dangers only kept in check by the might of the legions. Fell magics, savage peoples, and scheming empires all threaten the country Patrician Marcus Venandus has sworn to defend using his wits, military strategy and his small command of highly disciplined legionnaires. This collection includes the first three books in the series: The Fire Islands, The Sea of Grass, and The Jeweled Hills.

The Fire Island: Lesser Tribune Marcus Venandus, Legion officer exemplar, was exiled to the disease-ridden hell hole known as the Fire Islands as punishment for the failed political machinations of his father. While the days of the powerful witchdoctor kings throwing skeletal armies against the shields of the legion have faded into history, all is not right at the edge of the world. Unrest is boiling once again as long dead darkness seeps back into the islands. With the legion more concerned with its personal rivalries than with its duty, it will fall to Marcus and his small, highly disciplined, command to put the horrors of the past back in their graves and literally save Aquila from a fate worse than death.

The Sea of Glass: Forbidden from returning to Aquila, Marcus Venandus responds to a plea from a half-brother he has never met to aid him in the far away land called the Jeweled Hills. When pirates shut down the sea routes the legion officer and his two trusted companions are forced to join a caravan to make the slower journey north across the treacherous Sea of Grass. Yet this may not prove to be the safer choice. A mysterious shaman has sworn to drench the plains in the blood of foreigners and his mastery over storms gives him the teeth to fulfill his oath. As chaos envelopes the trail, it will fall to Marcus to organize the defense and try to shepherd the frightened civilians of the caravan to safety again.

The Jeweled Hills: Tribune Marcus Venandus and his two trusted officers have gone through hell in their journey north from the Fire Islands and across the Sea of Grass. Arriving at Amatista in the Jeweled Hills, Marcus is looking forward to a much deserved rest in the home of his half-brother, but fate has other plans for the legionnaire. Soon he will be wishing he'd never heard of his brother's city. Surrounded by enemies and crippled by internal divisions, Amatista is already on its knees and ready to fall. Marcus must act decisively to save everything his brother has built, but without his beloved legions behind him, can Marcus and his friends survive their visit to the Jeweled Hills?