Böcker av Dave Duncan

When one life ends, another begins.After forty years as the village school teacher in the idyllic valley of Greenbottom, Agatha is looking forward to a quiet retirement. Instead, an enigmatic stranger arrives to drag her through a long-closed portal to another world.Confronted with a completely foreign culture steeped in magic and violence, Agatha finds herself a crucial pawn being played between rival factions. The only way forward through the rigid traditions and convoluted politics of the Archons of Otopia is to remain true to herself and her Greenbottom ideals.

"They know the world is dying, but they hope not in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, they're top dogs and will do anything to stay that way."Doig Gray is fifteen when his father is killed in a mining accident, which Doig comes to realizes was no accident. Torn from his mother and sister, Doig is sent off to college, his every movement monitored in case he has inherited his dissident father's unacceptable attitudes . . . or passwords. Doig has nothing but his own sense that there's something desperately wrong with the world-and a last name that evokes the assumption that he's destined to be the next traitor-hero.The Traitor's Son is a science fiction novel about a colony world where everything that could go wrong already has. Stuck on the wrong world at the wrong site, with the wrong leaders, the colony is doomed to extinction unless immediate steps are taken to correct-everything. But 500 years of hiding from the reality of their situation has created an unchallengeable status quo-and the Accident Squad, determined to ensure it remains that way.The Traitor's Son is a fast-paced SF adventure in the best tradition of Duncan's Hero, West of January, and Eocene Station.

The mightiest swordsmen in the relm, are bound by magic to defend their noble wards...to the death.The King's Blades The unloved child of the unscrupulous King Ambrose,Princess Malinda learned at an early age to fight for what was rightfully hers. Now, with the Kings abrupt death, civil war has become her grim destiny. Making her uncertain way through the blood labyrinth of schemesand betrayals, Malinda can trust none but the Blades of the Royal Guard. But the Blades themselves are in grave peril. And the young Queen faces the most crucialdecision of her life: a choice that will either redeem her kingdom from chaos...or bring ultimate destruction down upon it, her Blades, and herself.

First in the WWI alternate reality trilogy. ';Duncan has a wonderful knack of conjuring up wacky scenarios and making them believable and fascinating' (Kirkus Reviews). The Great Game of Gods is afoot in a world on the brink of madness . . . In the summer of 1914, a young man of reputation beyond reproach awakens under police guardgrievously injured and accused of heinous, impossible murder. And in a strange, distant place, the youngest member of a penniless acting troupe has been taken prisoner by the loyal minions of a corrupt, vengeful goddess. For an ancient prophecy has divided the realm's ruling deities into warring factionsa prophecy that mentions the crippled captive child and a youth recovering from inexplicable wounds in a British hospital bed. The game weaves through worlds and dimensions as it has since time immemoriala deadly contest of skill and manipulations that ruthlessly creates wizards, destroys human pawns, and transforms ordinary men,women, and children into something more.

A young imperor flees his own kingdom to escape an army of sorcerers in this ';lively adventure' of a fantasy novel from the author of The Cutting Edge (Publishers Weekly). The old imperor was dead at last. His popular soldier grandson, known as Shandie, had succeeded him . . . Had he not? No, he had not. The man who sat on the opal throne was not Shandie, but an illusion created by the mad dwarf Xinixo. Year after year, he had stealthily been ensorcelling sorcerers, turning them into loyal minions. Now, wielding their combined power, he was irresistible. He ruled the Impire, so he ruled the world. He would continue to rule it for centuries. Anyone who knew the truth or opposed him in any way, he would destroy or enslave. That especially included his old enemy, King Rap of Krasnegar, Shandie, the rightful imperor, and all their supporters, their friends, their families. All of them! First he had to catch them. With his infinite magic, that ought to be easy. Rap and Shandie had other ideas, but even they could see that their cause looked hopeless.

A king resists a sorcerer's rule over the Impire in this fantasy series from the Aurora Awardwinning author of the Man of His Word novels. Paranoid but almighty, the sorcerer Xinixo had seized control of the Impire. But ruling the imps and most of the world was not enough. He would never feel safe until he was universally loved, so he would smash everything and then rebuild the whole world in his own insane image. Who could resist him? King Rap of Krasnegar and Shandie, the rightful imperor, were still at large and determined to resist the evil, however slender their chances. Their one, faint hope was to enlist the help of the remaining free sorcerers of the world, those not already spellbound by Xinixo. Their quest soon ran into disaster. Their messengers were betrayed or ensnared. A rampaging goblin army had captured Shandie and was about to torture him to death. Rap was mired in a tropical jungle, hoping his wife and children were safe back home in Krasnegar. They were not in Krasnegar and certainly not safe.As the flames of war raged across Pandemia, news of the disasters penetrated even into Thume, the Accursed Land. Outsiders believed that the pixies had been extinct for a thousand years, but they still lived there, hoarding their magic. Their ruler, the Keeper, adamantly refused to meddle in events outside her borders, but one young pixie girl was prepared to rebel against the ancient order . . .

The epic fantasy adventure of Queen Inos continues as she is pursued by powerful warlocks, all the while convinced her beloved servant, Rap, is dead. Still stuck in the desert land of Zarkand mourning RapQueen Inos has conflicted feelings about Sultan Azak's proposal. Her heart lies with her beloved kingdom of Krasnegar and her duty to its people. But when she and Azak make a desperate escape, Inos is shocked by an image of Rap and knows that he must be alivesomewhere... On the island of Durthing, Rap's gift of farsight has made him too valuable to be truly freeuntil the evil Nordland raider Kalkor captures him after a bloody slaughter. Testing his magical wits against Kalkor, Rap searches for a chance to escape and restore Inos to her rightful throne. ';If it's traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you're after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy. ' SFReviews.net ';Duncan takes all the trusted fantasy ingredients, meticulously prepares them and brings them together with skill and relish.... The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy.' Fantasy Book Review ';Duncan's unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended.' Library Journal

The author of Magic Casement returns to the fantastical world of Pandemia: ';The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy' (Fantasy Book Review). When Queen Inos was abducted through the magic casement and her friend, the stableboy Rap, tried to follow her, they arrived in places very strangeand very far apart... Inos finds herself in the country of Zark, captured by a powerful sorceress who rules over the desert land with a brutal magic. Meanwhile, Rap and his companions wind up in Faerie. Desperate to find Inos, he'll try anything, even though witches and warlocks aboundand trustworthy allies are hard to find. One, though, a sea captain, hires Rap as part of his crew, and they embark on a journey that could take him farther away from Inosand deeper into a dangerous adventure... ';If it's traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you're after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy. 'SFReviews.net ';Duncan takes all the trusted fantasy ingredients, meticulously prepares them and brings them together with skill and relish.... The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy.' Fantasy Book Review ';Duncan's unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended.' Library Journal

The saga of Inos and Rap comes to its thrilling conclusion in the final Man of His Word novel from ';one of the leading masters of epic fantasy' (Publishers Weekly). While Queen Inos and her new husband, the cursed Sultan Azak, head to the capital city to beg the emperor's aid, Rap is imprisoned and tortured in the sultan's dungeons. But a third magic word gives him power beyond his wildest dreams, allowing him to escape. Struggling with his newfound abilitiesand his feelings for Inoshe follows after her. With his faithful companions, Rap will find himself battling old enemies, fulfilling prophecies, and navigating the empire's politics, forging his own destiny as one of the most feared men in the kingdom. ';If it's traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you're after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy. 'SFReviews.net ';Duncan takes all the trusted fantasy ingredients, meticulously prepares them and brings them together with skill and relish.... The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy.' Fantasy Book Review ';Duncan's unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended.' Library Journal

The Aurora Awardwinning author of the Man of His Word novels returns to the magical realm of Pandemia with the first in his Handful of Men series. For fifteen years, Queen Inos and King Rapthe former stable boy and secret sorcererhave ruled Krasnegar wisely and happily, raising a family and prospering in their remote little kingdom. But a darkness is encroaching, foreshadowed by prophecies of unimagined cataclysms across Pandemia. Prince Emshandar, better known as Shandie to Krasnegar's royal family, is engaged in several conflicts along the Impire's borderlands, as armies of djinns, gnomes, and other races declare and wage war. His grandfather, the aged imperor himself, continues to behave more erratically and tyrannically with each passing hour. Rap dismisses the warnings as superstitious nonsense and the borderland battles as far from home and none of his kingdom's affair. But on the night of the birth of his fourth child, Rap is visited by a god who regales him with a cryptic tale of Pandemia's impending doom. Once upon a time, a young sorcerer made an error, an error that now threatens to nullify the Protocol, the treaty that has controlled the use of magic for a millennium. Without the Protocol, the realm will fall into chaos and certain destructionunless Rap embarks on a dangerous quest to right his long ago wrong ... The beginning of a new series by the author of the Seventh Sword novels and many other acclaimed works of fantasy, The Cutting Edge is ';deftly woven and set forth with a refreshingly unpretentious clarity and directness: imagine David Eddings rewritten by Kate Wilhelm. Grab this one' (Kirkus Reviews).

The first novel from ';one of the leading masters of epic fantasy'a tale of a place where death holds no sway and heroes are born (Publishers Weekly). Alya has an almost magical talent. Her hunches are never wrong. The scientists of planet 4 I want to use her talent and promise her a spot on the next off-world colonization team in return for her assessment of the potential of the latest worlds they have discovered. But Alya meets Cedric, the grandson of the brilliant and tyrannical director of 4 I, and she begins to doubt her own intuition. Cedric has dreamed of becoming a scout and exploring new worlds, and when he meets Alya, he is more determined than ever to leave 4 I with her. His grandmother needs him on 4 I, though, because she has schemes afoot to protect her planet and to cover up a murder, and she does not intend to let him go. However, she has underestimated her grandsonand the young woman whose intuition is strong and whose destiny is linked to Cedric's.

Sald Harl would like nothing more than to soar on the wings of his noble eagle, but his youthful rides in the sky are cut short by an appointment to guard the prince. Sald watches his dreams of flight fade with his name and independence as he takes over his bodyguard duties. During a perilous journey to the edges of the kingdom, a dark secret comes to life. Now the great Prince Shadow is accused of treason, and Sald must orchestrate a desperate plan of escape or he will lose the one thing he has been ordered to defend. His only option for freedom is a dangerous flight that no one has ever survived. Once again Sald hopes to feel the freedom of soaring though the air unshackled from servitude.

The city of Mera is a fortress hidden from the rest of humanity, a sanctuary for the diverse group of people rescued from death by the Oracle that rules the city. The Oracle has brought together the citizens of Mera from every land and every time period, protecting them from the ravages of time, death, and the evil demon forces that howl outside the city at night. All that the Oracle asks in return is a willingness to aid the rest of humanity, calling the citizens to go forth on various missions of rescue to mortals in need of aid. The Oracle sends Jerry out into the wilderness, accompanied by his ancient Greek friend Killer, a world famous lecher and juvenile delinquent with deadly combat skills. There they must rescue a woman named Ariadne, on the run with her children and seeking shelter. But children are not allowed in Mera, and Ariadne will not leave them while Mera's evil demon enemies move closer and closer to Jerry and Killer's temporary place of respite.

This fantasy by the author of the Seventh Sword series offers ';a madcap mix of outrageous prose and superlative wit' (Times-Colonist, Victoria B.C.). Omar is the finest storyteller the world has ever known, captivating audiences everywhere, from the fires of soldier camps to the plush residences of nobility. In times of turmoil, people can still appreciate a good tale that offers respite from their troubles. But as hordes of barbarian soldiers surround the unvanquished city of Zanadon after ravaging the surrounding countryside, few things are certain any longer. Omar has been guided to the city by prophetic dreams, yet finds himself in an increasingly dangerous situation as the people grow more desperate and the gift of a glib tongue turns into a curse.

As WWI rages on, two immortal enemies engage in a war between alternate worlds in book two of this epic fantasy series. In the midst of the horror of the First World War, a stranger falls from nowhere into the mud and death of Flanders battlefieldbruised, babbling, and stark naked . . . with a remarkable story to tell. The Great Gamethe timeless diversion of human gods, a ruthless contest of treachery, magic, betrayal, and manipulation, created to relieve the tedium of immortalitygoes on.

A new link in the tale begun in The Gilded Chain from ';one of the great unsung figures of Canadian fantasy and science fiction' (Quill & Quire). Originally issued as a YA trilogy called the King's Daggers (including volumes Sir Stalwart, The Crooked House, and Silvercloak), The Monster War works equally well as a single novel. The story fills a gap in the first Blades novel, The Gilded Chain, when King Ambrose sought to shut down the evil sorcery of the Elementaries, and the sorcerers fought back by trying to kill him. The same great characters are all here: Ambrose himself, Grand Master, and Blades Durendal, Bandit, and Snake. Appearing for the first time are Sir Stalwart, the only Blade who does not bear a binding scar, and Emerald of the White Sisters, the only girl ever enrolled in Ironhall. The action wanders across Chivial from the White Sisters' headquarters at Oakendown, to Grandon, and into the heart of Ironhall, for the evil penetrates even there. If you missed this one the first time (and most Blades fans did), then here is your chance to join the action as the King's Blades ride again!

';Complicated politics and family scandals twist through this tale of courtly intrigue from prolific fantasist Duncan' (Publishers Weekly). Though Quirt's name is little known, his skills as a gladiator are quickly obvious and hard to match. In Aureity, noblemen battle in the arena circuit, using their powers of teleportation and telekinesis to prove their breeding and strength. The prizes at play are not only silver and bronze but also the chance to rise amongst the nobility and mate with the ruling class of women. Older than most players, Quirt still manages to draw attention and awe through his mastery of the games. Some of that attention comes from Humate, a brash young competitor with unbelievable power and little patience or control. To him, Quirt is a mystery he can't resist. However, that mystery soon proves much bigger than all of them. Ancient crimes, struggles for status, romance, vengeance, dutyHumate has a lot to learn from the world wise Quirt. As the secret of Quirt's true identity and past unfolds, Humate and Quirt race to bring justice to the murderer and madman whose blood links the two gladiators together. WithIll Met in the Arena, award winning fantasy author Dave Duncan creates yet another new, fully realized world filled with complex cultures and brisk adventure. Intrigue, politics, action, humorthis book will grab you from pageone and not let go until the final word.

First seen in The Reaver Road';a fun, very readable fantasy with agreeable, intelligent characters'Omar the Storyteller returns (Metaphorosis Reviews). Omar often gets into trouble as a result of his role as the world's greatest storyteller. The wrong tale at the wrong time told to the wrong audience can prove fatal. A slighted innkeeper threatens to kill Omar by tossing him out into the vicious storm that rages just outside the door of the inn. But this time, for a change, Omar also has the chance to redeem himself by using his gift. If Omar can top the most outrageous tales invented by the inn's guests, he may get away with his neck intact. Omar not only tells a series of tales that would astonish the most gifted bard, but he corrects the errors of the others and weaves them all together into one absolutely compelling tale of adventure.

The ';tightly written, intelligent, and original' fantasy epic of interdimensional war comes to ';a decisive and satisfactory end' (Booklist). In a place called Nextdoorthe farthest flung outpost of British imperialismearthborn mortals possess the power of gods. Young Englishman Edward Exeter has spent five years trying to escape the magnetic and powerfully magical pull of the Great Game, which has designated him as its most important player. But war and bloodthirsty intrigue rage on both sides of magical portals and across worlds, and Exeter can resist his destiny no longer. He accepts the mantle of Liberator that has been thrust upon him, and the decision turns old friends into foes and old enemies into acolytes as he is surrounded by murderous plots and betrayals. But this is not the uninformed Edward Exeter who came naked into this hidden realm years ago. He has lived the Game and learned it welland he intends to play it boldly to its shocking, worlds shattering conclusion.

A sword-and-sorcery classic from the Aurora Awardwinning author of the King's Blades series. Wally Smith, having died on Earth, finds himself reincarnated as a swordsman in another world and entrusted by the presiding goddess with a mission that has no appeal for him at all. Can he bring together all the swordsmen to finally defeat the sorcerors and their terrible technology? Wally is not quite convinced he should, but goddesses can be very persuasive . . .This is the third and final exciting book, afterThe Reluctant SwordsmanandThe Coming of Wisdom, in the Seventh Sword Trilogy.

In medieval Scotland, a Highlander picks up his sword against his oppressors. ';Duncan excels at old-fashioned swashbuckling fantasy' (RT Book Reviews). All of Europe is under the control of the Khan, whose conquering armies swept across the West in 1244. Scotland, in addition, lies under the heel of England. Young Toby Strangerson, a half English bastard, reared by a witchwife, wants only to shed his hated ';Sassenach' blood and free his beloved highlands. Toby wields a sword as the outlaw Longdirk. The sword can cut down men like so many stalks of corn. But stranger winds are swirling and howling across the lochs, eldritch winds that are ridden by ';hobs' and ';wisps' and demons. The enemy Sassenach king is also a sorcerer. His demon soul needs a body and his Black Arts can free Europe from the Khans Golden Horde. This book was originally published under the pseudonym Ken Hood.

In medieval Scotland, an outlaw seeks his freedomfrom both the merciless khan who conquered Europe, and the demon spirit that possesses him. All of Europe is ruled by the Khan, whose Golden Horde swept its conquering way across Europe in 1244. The Scottish outlaw Toby Strangerson, known as Longdirk, is ruled by an even harsher master. He is possessed by a ';hob,' a demon spirit murderous as a child, although inherently neither good nor evil. Toby wants his freedomand the spirit of the tyrant demon Nevil, ensorcelled in amethyst, can be traded for the exorcism of the hob. In order to make the exchange, though, Toby and his friend and ally Hamish must face the hexer Oreste on his own ground, in the dank and fetid dungeons of Barcelona, where souls are racked and tortured and destroyed on the relentless wheel of the Inquisition. This book was originally published under the pseudonym Ken Hood.

Longdirk, the hero of medieval Europe, faces his greatest threat. ';Duncan excels at old-fashioned swashbuckling fantasy' (RT Book Reviews). The Scottish outlaw Toby Strangerson, known as Longdirk, has used gramarye, dark magic, to defeat the Fiend and save Europe from abject slaverybut he has also made himself the most feared and envied man in all of Italy. The hordes are reorganizing and plan to sweep over the Alps once more and retake their lost prize of power and conquest. Toby and his friend Hamish struggle to unite the quarreling city states into a single, powerful force to resist the invasion in a world where no ally can be trusted and traitors lurk in every shadow. But there is more at stake than freedom and the destiny of a continent. A woman's love is also hanging in the balance. This book was originally published under the name Ken Hood.

';A complex and gripping story' of plague, prophecy, and a woman's quest for freedom from the author of Portal of a Thousand Worlds (Booklist). The world was desperate. Since the empire had fallen a hundred years ago, Gwin and her people had nearly given up hope that the Renewer would come. Gwin had lost everything. Her husband was killed in one of the wars. Her children died of Star Sickness. Even her work at the hostel was in jeopardy because the politicians had it out for her. The cursed Gwin, therefore, had nothing to lose. When she took in the girl, a survivor of the Star Sickness, it was a dreadful crime. Gwin was at the end of her rope, and possibly the end of her life if she was found out. But the Sickness had left the girl with certain magic, certain powers, which could prove very useful to them both. Was it possible that this young survivor could save their lives and theempire? Was a new life for Gwin and her world finally at hand?

A barbarian warrior faces the forces of the Fire God in this thrilling adventure from the acclaimed author of Children of Chaos. Wallie Smith is staring death in the face; only a miracle can save him. And then one does! The Goddess appears to preserve his soul, but she does much more than that. She promises to bestow upon him a new and powerful body, and, more important, to endow him with the fabled Sapphire Sword of Chioxin. But nothing in this world or any other comes without a price. The Goddess demands that, for her services, Wallie become her champion. It will be an honor to serve such a presence, to have the chance to be victorious over all challengers. But Wallie and his sword quickly find themselves outmatched in a world of high stakes magic. Even the Goddess's priests cannot offer any resistance to the invading sorcerers and their quest to conquer souls for the Fire God. Wallie will need to find in himself and in the world the powers that will save all mortals. He will need to find the Coming of Wisdom.