Book Review: Lord Of The Fire Lands

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Lord Of The Fire Lands     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Dave Duncan
Class/Genre:   Fantasy
Series: King's Blades
Avon Eos, Oct 1999, $23.00, 368 pp.

Wasp enters the Blades of Ironhall because pirates killed his entire family. After several years of training, the time for Wasp and his companion Raider to pledge their dying loyalty to King Ambrose of Chivial arrives. However, instead of accepting the honor of becoming super swordsman that magically would change them, the two pupils decline the privilege.

King Ambrose declares Wasp and Raider as traitorous outlaws. Their peers, the other Blades, hunt them down with the goal being to kill them. However, the duo soon uncovers a terrifying plot of dark magic that, if left unchecked, will destroy the entire kingdom.

For the past decade, Dave Duncan has been one of the leading authors of sword and sorcery tales. His latest novel, LORD OF THE FIRE LANDS: A TALE OF THE KING'S BLADES will augment his reputation for constructing worlds that make magic seems real. Wasp and Raider are a complex duo who will garner much reader understanding and support especially when they challenge years of tradition. Though not quite as loony as his earlier works, Mr. Duncan continues to provide some of the sub-genre's most exciting and well-written tales.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner