Introduction
The stories center on Tristen, a boy not born from a human mother, but rather a magical "shaping" created by the ancient wizard Mauryl Gestaurien. Called "Kingmaker" for his role in the founding of the ruling Marhannen dynasty, Mauryl is the last living representative of the great Galasieni race. His once formidable power, however, is declining with age. And Mauryl, doubting his own abilities, falters during the act of Tristen's creation, leaving the shaping work partially unfinished.
Tristen is thereby brought into the world not fully formed. Physically he conforms to the shape and abilities of a normal human boy, but he has no memory, knowledge of the world around him, or understanding of his personal identity. Mauryl deliberately leaves the question of Tristen's identity unanswered, and as such Tristen must discover it for himself. But Tristen is being stalked by an evil ghost-like sorcerer, Hasufin Heltain, an old enemy of Mauryl who seeks to destroy Tristen and return to living corporeal form.
The first novels in the series describe Tristen's coming of age and his developing relationship with Prince Cefwyn, heir to the Marhannen throne. Later novels in the series portray Tristen as he comes to understand his true origins and the full extent of his powers as he confronts his enemy Hasufin.
Cherryh also dedicates significant effort to the development of Cefwyn's character as he also comes of age, ascends to the Marhannen throne and confronts the challenges of kingship. Cefwyn must unite the fractious nobles of his court and establish his authority over an independent-minded church hierarchy while simultaneously defending his lands from both internal treachery and external invasion.
As the series develops, Cherryh continues to intertwine the storylines of Tristen and Cefwyn. Tristen becomes a critical bulwark of support for the young King, and Cefwyn helps Tristen to find his place in society with the grant of a peerage and through the close friendship they form. The two are further united by their common enemies, for Hasufin attempts to leverage both internal and external opposition to Cefwyn as a means to gain power and force a final confrontation with Tristen.
Read more about this topic: The Fortress Series
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