The Darkness Rising, Maingard Chronicles Book 1 by Carl F Northwood

In a land of swords and sorcery, magical flying ships appear in the skies over the city of Jacarna, heralding an invasion from another plane. An invasion that is hell bent on destruction and enslavement.
The city is destroyed within a few hours and already, agents are spreading sedition throughout the other kingdoms of Maingard, hoping to bring the world to its knees by war or treason.
A small band of heroes and heroines are slowly drawn together to stand before the invading host. Together, they hold Maingard’s fate in their hands:
The thief and her ‘Demon’,
The half-orc bodyguard and his wards,
The prince and his sisters,
The soldier without a city,
And the servant of the witch of the forest.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2021