The Heart of Myrial ( 1998 ) (The first book in the Shadowleague series) A novel by Maggie Furey Three unlikely heroes must penetrate a land of sorcery and secrets to save a world hurtling toward chaos. From the dazzling imagination of Maggie Furey comes an astonishing new epic of a wondrous world on the brink of collapse... and the daring trio who will risk the deadliest odds to save it. The world of Myrial is racing toward apocalypse. For aeons, its mysterious Curtain Walls have functioned to separate realm from realm, and race from race, so that each cordoned area remains a sanctuary for its species. But now the miraculous walls that have provided order for so long are disintegrating with disastrous results. Mingling climates are causing unrelenting rains or deadly droughts, while warlike races are preying mercilessly on the helpless and meek. And the carnage will only grow worse unless a seasoned woman-warrior, a brazen firedrake, and a venerable Dragon with amazing telepathic powers--all trusted members of the Shadowleague--succeed where everyone else has failed. For they must first locate the heart of Myrial, where the secret for undoing this disaster resides. In order to reach their goal, however, they must overcome treachery, intrigue, and evil--and a mysterious figure from the past whose actions threaten to tear the Shadowleague apart.