Howard Andrew Jones Books In Order

Publication Order of The Chronicles of Sword and Sand Books

Publication Order of The Ring-Sworn Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Forgotten Realms: Pathfinder Tales Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Howard Andrew Jones
Howard Andrew Jones, when not helping run his tiny family farm or spending some time with his amazing wife and kids, can be found hunched over his notebook or laptop. And can be heard mumbling away about doom-haunted towers and flashing swords.

Howard has worked as a book editor, TV cameraman, a recycling consultant, and as a college writing instructor. He also has a second degree black belt in Shotokan karate.

He was instrumental in the rebirth of interest in the historical fiction by Harold Lamb and has edited and assembled eight collections of his work for the University of Nebraska Press.

Howard says that he stumbled on Harold’s works during his younger years and later found out that a lot of it hadn’t been reprinted or collected. While tracking it down he accidentally became an expert on his writing, and it was his honor and pleasure to shepherd many collections of the man’s work into print. Howard says that Lamb was way ahead of his time in a lot of ways, both in pacing as well as his sophisticated portrayal of non-westerners.

It is Howard’s conjecture that Harold is also the unsung grandpa of modern sword-and-sorcery and heroic fiction.

His stories about Dabir and Asim have been published many places, and led to his invitation to join the editorial staff of Black Gate magazine’s editorial staff in the year 2004. He has been Managing Editor since.

He is the Editor for Tales From the Magician’s Skull, the sword-and-sorcery magazine. He edits for Perilous Worlds, an imprint of Cabinet Entertainment, which means he helps shape the new Conan prose that gets printed.

Howard’s debut novel, called “The Desert of Souls”, was released in the year 2011. It was listed the Barnes and Noble Best Fantasy Releases list and on Locus’ Recommended Reading List of 2011. It made Kirkus’ New and Notable list for the year, and received acclaim from publications such as Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly.

“For the Killing of Kings” is the first novel in the “Ring-Sworn” series and was released in the year 2018. Their peace used to be a fragile thing, but it endured for seven years. Largely because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed that his doom was foretold on the edge of the great sword hanging in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans could raid across the border, however, the king himself wouldn’t lead his people to war as long as the blade was in the hands of his foes.

When Elanai the squire’s aging mentor finds evidence that the sword hanging in their hall is really a forgery, she is forced to flee Darassus for her life. Her only ally is the disillusioned and reckless Kyrkenall the archer. Framed for treason and murder, hunted by the greatest heroes in the realm, they race to find the real sword. By doing so, they stumble right into a conspiracy that leads all the way back to the Darassan queen as well as her secretive advisors. They have to find out how to clear their names and make things right. All while they dodge friends trying to kill them, as well as the Naor hordes that invade with a new and lethal weapon.

“Upon the Flight of the Queen” is the second novel in the “Ring-Sworn” series and was released in the year 2019. As the savage Naor clans get ready to march on the center of the Allied Realms, Rylin infiltrates the highest of enemy ranks in order to learn their secrets and free scores of doomed prisoners. Varama, his ailing mentor, leads the always dwindling Altenerai corps in a group of desperate strikes to try crippling the Naor occupiers. They hope for a relief force that might not come in enough time to save what is left of the city and the rest of her charges.

Kyrkenall, Elenai, and Ortok the kobalin ride right through the storm-wracked Shifting Lands in order to rekindle an alliance with the ko’aye, which is the only possible counter to the horrible Naor dragons. Even if they should happen to survive this hazardous journey deep into kobalin territory to locate the winged lizards, the three are unlikely to get a warm reception. This is due to the queen of the five realms refusing to help the ko’aye when their homelands were attacked. And these creatures have mighty long memories.

As the Altenerai fight some impossible odds to save the realms, their queen dives ever deeper into the magic of the mysterious hearthstones. This in an effort to unlock secrets that could destroy them all.

“The Desert of Souls” is the first novel in the “Dabir and Asim” series and was released in the year 2011. Back in eighth century Baghdad, one stranger pleads with the vizier to safeguard the bejeweled tablet that he carries. However, he is murdered before he is able to explain. Dabir, the scholar, is tasked with solving the puzzle, and quickly realizes the tablet could unlock secrets that are hidden in the lost city of Ubar, which the Atlantis of the sand. The tablet is stolen from his care, Dabir, along with Captain Asim are sent to retrieve it, and right into a life and death chase through the ancient Middle East.

Stopping these thieves, a fire wizard of the Magi and a cunning Greek spy, requires one desperate journey into the desert. First, though, Asim and Dabir have to locate the lost ruins of Ubar and contend with the sorcerous and mythic being that has traded wisdom for mens’ souls since the beginning of time. Against each of these hazards there is one more that could be much too great even for Dabir to overcome.

Readers found this to be very enjoyable and had a tough time setting it aside, even to have their dinner. It is a fast paced and entertaining read, and fans found they liked that they actually were able to relate to the main bad guy and could understand and support his motives, up to a point.