Tag Archives: A Man of His Word

Emperor and Clown by Dave Duncan

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Synopsis:
Now married to the cursed Sultan Azak, Princess Inos finally heads to the capital city to plead her case in front of the wardens, as stable boy Rap rushes to meet her and embrace his destiny.

Review:
(Is that like the worst cover you have ever seen? Seriously.) Emperor and Clown is the final installment in Dave Duncan’s A Man of His Word series, and a most satisfying conclusion indeed. The overall story is a rich, satisfying adventure full of political machinations and romance, with a thoroughly original world and three-dimensional characters. In short, I would recommend this series to any readers who enjoy George RR Martin or Robin Hobb. I’ve mooched the follow up series, but will be taking a palate-cleansing break from epic fantasy. Continue reading →

Perilous Seas by Dave Duncan

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Synopsis:
Rap the stableboy joins a merchant crew still intent upon rescuing Queen Inosolan, who is crossing a haunted wasteland in order to appeal her case to the four wardens.

Review:
Perilous Seas is the third book in Dave Duncan’s A Man of His Word series, and again I’m impressed at the skill with which Duncan crafts his narrative. He continually places his characters in severe jeopardy, taking the kinds of risks that fantasy authors so often fear. It’s almost as if the work it takes to build an alternate universe is too precious to dismantle. They’re afraid to damage, when in fact the best stories come when the world is shattered into irretrievable pieces. Continue reading →

Faery Lands Forlon by Dave Duncan

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Synopsis:
Inos might be queen of Krasnegar, but she’s been magicked to the other side of the world, and the same magic has sent stable boy Rap, the goblin Little Chicken, and boy thief Thinal to the land of Faery, where Rap discovers that Inos is a pawn in a deadly game between powers greater than any army or king.

Review:
Faery Lands Forlorn is the second book in Dave Duncan’s A Man of His Word series, and it’s clear that none of these books is meant to stand alone. It picks right up where Magic Casement left off, and ends with another cliffhanger. Continue reading →

Magic Casement by Dave Duncan

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Synopsis:
A stableboy begins to exhibit mysterious powers that draw attention that could be dangerous, and he finds himself a prisoner on the goblin waste as the princess he’s sworn to serve comes ever closer to a danger that only he is aware of.

Review:
Magic Casement is a fantastic start to a four book series that I hope lives up to the promise of this first installment. My friend Shari saw that I had read Duncan’s Hero!, and said, “You finally read Dave Duncan–but you read his sci-fi?” And then she pressed these books into my hand, and I knew that I’d be reading these as soon as I finished War and Peace. I had originally planned to pace myself through the series, alternating with other books, but because Duncan employs the cliffhanger ending, I have no choice but to give myself over to Princess Inos and Rap for as long as it takes. Continue reading →