Necromancer

Morgeth's iron grip on the land of Ilyria is beginning to reach beyond its borders; his necromancy is ripping apart the very fabric that binds Alatheia together and the only thing that stands the way of total domination is an ancient elven prophecy.
Inheriting his mother's sword, Eran must journey far beyond his idyllic farm life to find a ring that once belonged to his father and bring together the two heirlooms in order to destroy the evil that threatens to engulf Ilyria. He joins with others ordained by the prophecy; a legendary warrior, a shape-shifting mage, an elf haunted by his own past and two rather unlikely individuals. Together they face insurmountable obstacles and tragedy before coming face to face with evil itself. 'Necromancer' is the first in the series of books called "The Dark Rising".

From the author:
I will be the first to admit that 'Necromancer' is NOT the most original piece of epic fantasy literature ever written. I took a lot of inspiration from Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' and other great fantasy books (including those of Terry Brooks and Brent Weeks); I wanted to write a story that contained all the elements from my favorite books...one that I would like to read myself.
Necromancer was a side project; something I wrote just for fun without any intent to publish it (although it ended up published anyway). It was a lot of fun to write, and though some people may not like it because it is familiar, I enjoyed the time I spent doing it.
(edited by author)