"A Man of His
Word"
The Adventures of Rap the stableboy and Queen
Inosolan of Krasnegar; a huge sweeping series that roams all over a large
and fascinatingly imagined world; a new and novel rationale and system of
magic. |
| Magic
Casement |
This
is the book that kicks off eight books worth of hairsbreadth escapes,
desparate last stands, last-minute strategems, love, hate & selfless
sacrifice, bravery & cowardice and magic, sorcery, general
enchantment and other eternal verities like that there.
An entirely original world and system of magic, so far as i can tell,
and it's a toss-up whether Rap the stable-boy or the "Gang" is the more
fascinating characterisation.
<Further review in main reviews section> |
 |
| Faery
Lands Forlorn |
Stable-boy
Rap continues his search for Princess (rightfully Queen) Inosolan.
More of Duncan's original schema of magick is revealed, and we learn
more about
Pandemia's varied races.
More slam-bang action, intrigue,
confusion and adventures.
Rap learns more of his own abilities and potentials.
<Further review in main reviews
section> |
 |
| Perilous
Seas |
Humour,
danger, intrigue, horror,
beauty and adventure.
Growing in power and abilities all the time, stable-boy-turned-occult-genius
Rap's dash literally across the world in one desparate last attempt
to rescue his rightful Queen, Inosolan, seems to end
in horrible failure.
Is All Lost?
<Further review in main reviews
section> |
 |
| Emperor
and Clown |
Everything
comes to a stunning climax in Hub,
the capital of the Impire.
Or does it?
Something is
Still Not Right.
An appropriately dazzling ending to this complex and fast-moving
series. |
 |
"A Handful of
Men"
The further adventures of Rap and Inos (and
their children), fifteen years after "Man of His Word".
There are still some parts of Pandemia we didn't visit in the first
series. |
The
Cutting Edge
|
Fifteen
years after Rap and Inos
Saved The World,
as it were, it begins to seem as if the World is not
Quite So Saved
as one might wish... |
 |
| Upland
Outlaws |
Warlocks and pixies and trolls, oh my! |
 |
| The
Stricken Field |
Rap
and Inos ((and now their children)) flee the wrath of an insane and apparently
all-powerful warlock.
Rap begins assembling all of the free sorcerors he can find. They are all
Rather Odd -- and some are
Rather Odder than others. |
 |
| The
Living God |
The
climax, the conclusion, the resolution
of all eight volumes.
Rewards and punishments and triumphs and losses.
((Don't read the on-line Kirkus Review of this book -- it contains a Major
Spoiler)) |
 |
"The King's
Blades"
A new world, an order of powerful swordsmen,
soldiers and statesmen, Blades, whose loyalty is mystically
assured. |
The
Gilded Chain
A Tale of the King's Blades |
A New
Series.
A Henry VIII-type setting.
The Blades themselves are a fascinating secular militant order, bound by
unbreakable spells and oaths of loyalty to their King.
This story contains a description of a Really Nasty magical
ritual. |
 |
Lord
of the Fire Lands
A Tale of the King's Blades |
Overlapping
the first book in time, this is the stand-alone tale of Raider, brilliant
candidate for Blade, who shockingly rejects the honour.
The ending of this book seems to contradict the ending of Gilded Chain, but
have faith in the Master -- all will be made well. |
 |
Sky
of Swords
A Tale of the King's Blades |
The
Latest.
I never doubted that Duncan would resolve the seemingly irreconciliable
contradictions between the first two books.
He does, but i actually feel as if it was just a bit too easy... |
 |
Sir
Stalwart
First Tale of the King's Daggers |
Stalwart
is a fully-trained Blade, but is expelled from training just before he is
to be Bound.
Under this cover of disgrace, he and a similarly-falsely disgraced member
of the witch-sniffing White Sisters are The King's Daggers -- Secret agents
extraordinaire. |
 |
The
Crooked House
Second Tale of the King's Daggers |
Beginning
right after the end of the previous volume, this one sends Stalwart and Emerald
out to investigate reports of Evil Magic.
Of course the reports are true...
((About a PG-13-rated read, as there are some darker elements, but All Is
Well in the end.)) |
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