Sword and Soul — Thomas W. Brucato

The land of Davanon has been overrun by the evil minions of a three hundred-year-old necromancer who has proclaimed himself Emperor. Protected by scores of skeletal warriors, this nefarious ruler feeds on the life energy of his sacrificial victims to keep himself alive. Having banished the practice of magic from all the kingdoms that are now under his rule, his might seems insurmountable.The task of defeating the Emperor falls on the ungainly shoulders of Reece Landlin, an aspiring but very awkward seventeen-year-old swordsman. With an enchanted sword to guide him, Reece sets out on his journey reluctantly, and along the way meets a young seamstress and her mute brother, both of whom harbor a dark, dangerous secret. With these strangers he also encounters an eccentric shopkeeper with secrets and vital knowledge of his own.Reece and his new companions must enter the tomb of a long-dead wizard, a tomb that is beset by traps, in order to obtain an ancient magical artifact. Only with the artifact will they be able to challenge the Emperors skeletal warriors and thus get close enough to pit their own questionable skills against the might of the Emperor himself.