Sanctuary Books In Order

Publication Order of Sanctuary Books

Sanctuary is a Series of novels science and fantasy fiction novels by Robert J. Crane, the American writer that hails from Florida. The first novel in the Sanctuary series of novels was “Defender” the popular bestseller that was first published in 2011. With a very innovative style of writing that saw it compared to a video game, the first novel spawned several novels in the series that is still ongoing. Described as high fantasy by Robert Crane, the series of novel has all the elves, trolls, and wizards that bring all the fun into fantasy fiction. The series follows the adventures of the lead characters Cyrus Davidson and a talented Elf known as Vara, who live in a constantly changing world full of adventure. Even as the lead character Cyrus is a constant in all the novels, each title in the series may be read as a standalone given that the protagonist has to deal with a different situation in every book. Robert Crane tells the story in flashback format and over the course of the series reveals how the character got to the point he is at. The mystery in the novels is enhanced with good character development and excellent action sequences, which will keep any urban fantasy fiction fan in thrall from the first page to the last. At the core of the series is the fiery tension between the lead protagonist Cyrus and Vara the Elf, who is his love interest.

Cyrus Davidson the lead character in the series is a great leader and warrior who lives for the thrill of adventure. Alongside Cyrus are great friends that include elves, trolls, races, paladins, necromancers, wizards, druids, healers, and the dragons. As is expected in most urban fantasy novels, Cyrus battles through dangerous and sometimes evil tasks in the quest to win. Over the course of the series, Cyrus develops intense feelings of attraction for the Elf Zara, who initially does not give him the time of day, only to mellow later and become his girlfriend. The main point of contention between the two characters is their beliefs on vengeance that Vara does not believe in. Over time a range of characters are added to the series some of whom prove to be very critical for moving Cyrus’s story forward. Some of the characters added in the course include Vara’s mother, Aisling, Vaste, and Fortin that move the story forward. Fortin who makes his first appearance in the second novel is a hilarious addition, who plays the most critical role of offering some critical wisdom to Cyrus on his many quests. In narratives where battles are some of the most prominent of themes, the lead character shows a lot of growth in his abilities. He develops his intellect and strength over time, making it easy for him to deal with a variety of challenges and situations that goes on to show what a strong person he is.

The series reads more like a Dungeons and Dragons game with many game elements such as the background and lore, race based kingdoms, godly realms, and adventurers’ guilds present. The lead character Cyrus makes for a typical protagonist with a sense of duty and a personal quest to return the world to its former balance. The supporting cast is also standard ranging from the evil sorcerer, the wise sage, and people from a wide range of temperaments and fantasy backgrounds. The world building in the novels is minimalistic with the author preferring to let the reader make their own impressions of the world. Given the minimalist nature of the novels series there are very few details of the world that the author gives, which perhaps explains the short length of these urban fantasy fiction series. As for the fighting which is one of the most intriguing aspects of the novel, it has some of the most detailed and intricate descriptions in the novels. The entire series of novels especially its battle scenes feels more like a video game – something akin to “World of Warcraft”. The series makes good use of the paranormal in the fighting making use of reincarnations spells, sorcerers, and magical armor to make for some very interesting battle scenes.

“Defender” is the exhilarating first novel in the Sanctuary series of novels set in the world of Arkaria. Arkaria is a dangerous world where goblins, titans, dragons, and other dangers abound. The residents of this world are confronted with two choices; seek the extraordinary by becoming an adventurer or live an ordinary life. Cyrus Davidson the lead character in the novels is the leader of a small guild of persons residing in Reikonos the capital of the humans in Arkaria. He faces a deadly plight when he finds himself thrown into a den of dragons, only to be rescued by the courageous Sanctuary fighters that invite him to join them on a greater adventure. It is not long before Cyrus finds himself in the middle of a mystery, as he discovers that there is an unknown entities from Arkaria that has been stealing and stockpiling some of the most powerful weapons for a yet to be determined purpose. With the mysterious person or group of entities having amassed such a massive stockpile, Sanctuary is the only thing that may have the power to prevent the total destruction of their world by the paranormal beings of Arkaria.

“Avenger”, the second novel in the Sanctuary series of novel is the sequel to the first novel in the series “Defender”. The members of the group Sanctuary find themselves in a tight spot when accusations of stealing and attacking the members of Reikonos elite rulers are made against them. They are now banned from their own country unless they can bring forward the persons that were responsible, or pay back the monies that they never stole. Meanwhile, Vara is finally warming up to the advances of Cyrus Davidson but given the circumstances, he may just have to put his personal life on the back burner for the moment. Together with his colleagues in Sanctuary, they will have to put aside their struggles and track and find the culprits that attacked and stole from their rulers. But with the mysterious attackers proving elusive, Cyrus and his colleagues are losing their allies fast, even as culprits up the tempo of the attacks. Surrounded by enemies, will Sanctuary manage to defeat the enemy or will the vicious enemy consume their world?