The Sleeping King by Cindy Dees

 

When the Orcs came to Will's village and massacred everyone they found, he managed to get home quickly enough to warn his parents and they ran for the forest.  While there, he was astonished to discover that his father was a warrior with magic and his mother an elf who also had magical skills.  Neither of them had taught Will any magic or how to fight but realizing that they would die that night, they tasked Will with fulfilling a quest.  That was to find and awaken The Sleeping King.

Raina was the second daughter of an old family.  When she discovered that her life was predetermined to be entangled with that of the Sleeping King, she rebelled.  She refused to have her life spelled out by others and ran away from home, accompanied by a mercenary elf.  

Will and Raina meet up and realize they are sharing the same mission.  They are joined by others, a gypsy healer, a Jann who has escaped slavery and others who want to fight the current situation.  The Kothrites had achieved power and since they were more or less immortal, their reins on the world grew tighter and tighter.  Only the Sleeping King can break their hold if the mission of the group is successful and if he really even exists.

This is the first novel in the Sleeping King trilogy.  It is based on a real fantasy video game, Dragon Crest and has the approval of the Dragon Crest founder, Bill Flippen.   The world building is interesting and there is a clear demarcation between good and evil in the world Dees has created.   Some beings are misunderstood and wrongly assigned to one side or the other, an error that is remedied as the book progresses.  There is romance, magic, and a quest to save the world.  This book is recommended for fantasy readers.