Lord of the Fire Lands - Rambling Readers

480 pages

English language

Published Sept. 1, 2000 by Eos.

ISBN:: 978-0-380-79127-9

(1 review)

As unwanted, rebellious boys, they found refuge in Ironhall. . .Years later they emerged as the finest swordsmen in the realm--The Kings BladesOnce bound, a Blade's life is no longer his own. Only death can break the gilded chain of enchantment that binds the bodyguard to the man he is sworn to defend. And never in living memory has a candidate refused the honor of serving his king. . .until now.Young Wasp never intended to be a rebel. Yet, at the sacred ceremony of binding, he follows the lead of his friend Raider, and together they spurn the wishes of King Ambrose himself. Now Raider and Wasp are outlaws hunted by the very Blades whose ranks they were a breath away from entering, and joined together by a destiny that binds them more securely than any knot tradition and sorcery might tie. Amid the turmoil their "treachery" has inspired, Wasp …

As unwanted, rebellious boys, they found refuge in Ironhall. . .Years later they emerged as the finest swordsmen in the realm--The Kings BladesOnce bound, a Blade's life is no longer his own. Only death can break the gilded chain of enchantment that binds the bodyguard to the man he is sworn to defend. And never in living memory has a candidate refused the honor of serving his king. . .until now.Young Wasp never intended to be a rebel. Yet, at the sacred ceremony of binding, he follows the lead of his friend Raider, and together they spurn the wishes of King Ambrose himself. Now Raider and Wasp are outlaws hunted by the very Blades whose ranks they were a breath away from entering, and joined together by a destiny that binds them more securely than any knot tradition and sorcery might tie. Amid the turmoil their "treachery" has inspired, Wasp and Raider must undertake a desperate journey into the heart of the dreaded Fire Lands. And the outcome of their terrifying confrontation with dark truth and darker magic in this realm of monsters, ghosts, and half-men will ultimately determine the fate of two kingdoms.

3 editions

Sean Randall reviewed Lord of the Fire Lands by Dave Duncan

Review of 'Lord of the Fire Lands' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

"it seems that the ending of this book paves the way for the beginning of the next", I wrote at the end of my review of [b:the gilded chain|57687|The Gilded Chain (King's Blades, #1)|Dave Duncan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1219589831s/57687.jpg|56199], first of the King's Blades. How very wrong I was. In fairness to me, the end was quite open and I did not know that they weren't a series in the accepted sense of the term. "Each book in this trilogy stands alone, but together they make a larger story," according to the author.

So what of the lord of the Fire Lands? I found it very compelling, intriguing, and fascinating. I can only apologise for not perhaps dedicating as much of my attention to the political nuances present in the first of the series, for having read this one I'm sure to have missed many. The geography, piracy, codes of chivalry and loyalties are …

"it seems that the ending of this book paves the way for the beginning of the next", I wrote at the end of my review of [b:the gilded chain|57687|The Gilded Chain (King's Blades, #1)|Dave Duncan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1219589831s/57687.jpg|56199], first of the King's Blades. How very wrong I was. In fairness to me, the end was quite open and I did not know that they weren't a series in the accepted sense of the term. "Each book in this trilogy stands alone, but together they make a larger story," according to the author.

So what of the lord of the Fire Lands? I found it very compelling, intriguing, and fascinating. I can only apologise for not perhaps dedicating as much of my attention to the political nuances present in the first of the series, for having read this one I'm sure to have missed many. The geography, piracy, codes of chivalry and loyalties are all spot on, with the theme of a Blade's binding coursing through the work as a thread through a tapestry.

The perspective also shifted radically between these 2 books - the first focusing on the blades as a group and Durendal in particular, and this work moving the focus to Radgar and the Baelish people. First impressions aren't always what they seem, of course (witness Gerard) but the Bael are not pushovers, by any stretch.

The third tale, so I hear, shifts once again, focusing on Malinda. that will be interesting.

one question, for anyone who has survived this long. Ambros IV was shot between the eyes by Radgar, yet he died in the first book in a different way entirely, acceding the thrown to Malinda. Book 2 says Ambros died in the twentieth year of his reign, betrayed by Baelish treachery, which fits with the second work but not the first ("My father died in a fire of unknown origin"). We won't dispute the fact that unknown origin is a bit of a stretch, but unless I am getting some characters very muddled up (which is quite possible) I don't understand.

That's my only big niggle, though, and this book truly made me look at the first one in a new light. perhaps rereading it will answer my question, or perhaps the third one will tie things up.