In "THE BLACK SHIPS," Art Wiederhold takes the sword and sorcery genre in an entirely new direction and comes up with a real gem. "THE BLACK SHIPS" are mysterious galleons that appear out of nowhere to roam the shipping lanes of the Great Southern Sea. Although Arka-Dal, the emperor of Thule, is intrigued by the strange ships, they seem to pose no real threat to anyone. Besides, he has other problems to consider, like finding out who is behind the brutal raids on innocent, unarmed people in the northwestern part of the Empire. But soon, the Black Ships prove to be real and terrifying threats to ships and harbor cities. This forces Arka-Dal and his loyal companions to set out after them and become embroiled in the wildest and deadliest adventure of their lives "THE BLACK SHIPS" is a masterfully crafted addition to the "Thulian Chronicles" and proves why Art Wiederhold is considered by many to be the best fantasy writer of all time.