Magician's Loss — D. Bruce Cotton

Hope is the deceiver of fools, and the architect of despair.A declaration of truth, or mere words? How Adam Gray responds to the Dark Mage's claim may well determine the fate of an entire world.Because hope provides his only chance at salvation. Chaos and destruction rule the present; death holds the future in its ruthless grip. Only somewhere in the past can Adam undo the enemy's victory and restore the lives of those most precious to him. But the past harbors great evil as well. Already the Dark Mage's plans are in motion; his teeming hordes eager to massacre the innocents of Tantris.Bereavement, devastation, and anguished betrayal push the young mage to the brink of despair. Broken and alone, surrounded by enemies howling for his blood, Adam must face a terrible truth…Sometimes, a little hope is worse than no hope at all.