The Ring and the Flag

Shards of Light, Volume 1

By: William L. Hahn

Narrated by: William L. Hahn

Newly graduated imperial officer Justin is convinced he has no future, and hearing the details of the secret mission he’s assigned for the emperor won’t change his mind. Civil war threatens the North Mark. Justin must race against time to form a company and lead his men into the center of the web; but what happens when his loyalty to the empire means the death of those who follow him?

In ADR 2002, the Empire of Argens is still reeling from the usurpation of its centuries-old throne by a landless adventurer. A ferocious, dwarven warrior named Yula and his sorcerous human allies not only defeated the flower of elvish knighthood, but also exposed the former dynasty as nothing less than demons in disguise. Now a young captain, ruined by his loyalty to the old regime, has one last chance to redeem his family name in the officer training corps being established by the hated new emperor.

Captain Justin gets much more than he bargained for, however, as he is sent on a secret mission to the North Mark, hotbed of disloyalty even in the old days and now on a trip wire for revolt. Given only days to assemble a company, march north, and defuse the conspiracy, the new captain will be tested too often, too hard, and far too soon.

The Ring and the Flag is the first story in the Shards of Light saga set in the Lands of Hope, the creation of William L. Hahn. More than 20 years in the making, the Lands hold tremendous adventure, a sense of history, and a strong theme of the difficult choices heroes must make when faced by the power of despair.

©2018 William Hahn (P)2018 William Hahn

Audio at Its Best

This is my second time reviewing this novella. I really enjoyed the e-book version. It has a loveable hero, a serious challenge, an unexpected plot twist, an exciting battle, and to top it off an awesome fantasy beast. It’s set in a richly developed world where new stories wait for you around every twist of the trail. I was so thrilled with it that I rushed out to immediately start the second and third books in the series and waited very impatiently until the astoundingly good conclusion was finally published. So let’s be clear, this is a great story on its own merits, but when you add the author’s exceptional audio talents, The Ring and the Flag leaps to a whole new level of excellence. Hahn handles the voices of his cast of heroes superbly, and then adds in numerous sound effects that bring his world to ever-more-vibrant life. It’s exceptional! The sort of story you’ll gladly listen to again and again and again.