TSR Code:

'Determined to drive a trade route through Anauroch, the Zhentarim have sent an army to enslave the fierce nomads of the Great Desert.  As tribe after tribe fall to the intruders, only a single woman, Ruha sees the true danger - but what Sheikh will heed the advice of an outcast witch?
Ruha finds help from an unexpected source.  The Harpers, guardians of liberty throughout the Realms, have sent an agent to counter the Zhentarim.  If she can help this stranger win the trust of the Sheikhs, perhaps he can overcome the tribes' ancestral rivalries and drive the invaders from the desert'.

Other titles in The Harpers Series:

• Book 2 - Elfshadow
• Book 3 - Red Magic
• Book 4 - The Night Parade
• Book 5 - The Ring of Winter
• Book 6 - Crypt of the Shadowking
• Book 7 - Soldiers of Ice
• Book 8 - Elfsong
• Book 9 - Crown of Fire
• Book 10 - Masquerades
• Book 11 - Curse of the Shadowmage
• Book 12 - The Veiled Dragon
• Book 13 - Silver Shadows
• Book 14 - Stormlight
• Book 15 - Finder's Bane
• Book 16 - Thornhold

Although the book follows a pretty simple plot line without too many twists and turns, a great setting (Anauroch) and an extremely likable, interesting, and resilient heroine (Ruha, who spews forth her own brand of "desert" magic...) makes it a worthwhile read. A nice start to a great series.