Blasted Lands is a series of fantasy novels by James A. Moore. Set in a world still recovering from a war between wizards that created the titular wasteland, they tell the story of a mercenary, Merros Dulver, who encounters the mysterious Sa'ba Taalor, a race of tall and powerful warriors living in the valley beyond the Blasted Lands, and the turmoil that erupts when he brings them back to meet his Emperor.
This series contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Swech, and pretty much any of the women of the Sa'ba Taalor.
- Amazon Chaser: Merros quickly develops an appreciation for big, strong women after traveling around with Swech.
- Blood Knight: The Sa'ba Taalor live for combat. Nearly every aspect of their society is based around either fighting or making weapons.
- Bully Brutality: Early in Seven Forges, Andover Lashk has his hands destroyed by a brutish city guard who wrongfully accuses him of flirting with his supposed "fiancee".
- Forging Scene: In order to become an ambassador to the Sa'ba Taalor, Andover is first required to prove that he can forge his own weapon. A forging scene ensues as he makes a customized hammer.
- Older Than They Look: Desh Krohan is hundreds of years old, but has managed to give the appearance of being in his early forties.
- Really 700 Years Old: Desh Krohan has been the adviser to the Emperor of Fellein for several centuries.
- Red Right Hand: Drask Silver Hand has, as his name suggests, a hand made of a silvery living metal.
- Retirony: Poor Wollis dies just after Merros arranges for his family to be transferred to Fellein, which would have moved him closer to retirement.
- Sacrificial Lion: Pathra Krous and Wollis March are both killed off in the final chapters of Seven Forges.
- Too Dumb to Live: During the reception to welcome the Sa'ba Taalor to Fellein, the Emperor's nephew Brolly gets drunk and loudly insults Drask in front of his king. Since the Sa'ba Taalor don't really have any tradition of peaceful mediation of conflicts, Brolly soon finds himself challenged to a fight to the death. Nearly everyone else spends the next two days telling him what a dumbass he is.
- Trial by Combat: The kingdom of Fellein has a long tradition of solving legal matters through combat, despite Desh Krohan's efforts to get the practice abolished. This is where Andover Lashk gets his revenge on the guards who destroyed his hands. The Emperor finally gets around to banning the practice after his idiot nephew insults Drask Silverhand, who demands satisfaction.
- Weapons of Their Trade: Former apprentice blacksmith Andover Lashk uses a modified blacksmith's hammer as his weapon.
