The House of the Stag [Paperback]

Kage Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2009

Before the Riders came to their remote valley the Yendri led a tranquil pastoral life. When the Riders conquered and enslaved them, only a few escaped to the forests. Rebellion wasn’t the Yendri way; they hid or passively resisted, taking consolation in the prophecies of their spiritual leader. Only one possessed the necessary rage to fight back: Gard the foundling, half-demon, who began a one-man guerrilla war against the Riders. His struggle ended in the loss of the family he loved, and condemnation from his own people. Exiled, he was taken as a slave by powerful mages.

Bitter and wiser, he finds more subtle ways to earn his freedom. This is the story of his rise to power, his vengeance, his unlikely redemption, and his maturation into a loving father—as well as a lord and commander of demon armies. Kage Baker, author of the popular and witty fantasy, The Anvil of the World, returns to that magical world for another story of adventure, love, and a fair bit of ironic humor.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Culture clashes resound through this multi-layered coming-of-age tale from fantasist Baker (The Anvil of the World). Shaped in movements like a verbal symphony, the novel follows half-demon foundling Gard from a pastoral childhood punctuated with vicious raids by the savage Riders. Gard's willingness to kill in self-defense leads to a career as gladiator and sex slave under the insatiable Lady Pirihine and his training as a powerful mage, all contrasted with and eventually tied into the Gospel-like story of the Star, a John the Baptist–like figure, and the Child, a young girl who becomes a saint. Somehow this unusual and mostly charming mélange of basic fantasy motifs, fair and feral landscapes, and ironic characterizations ranging from gentle to raucous all comes together harmoniously, like extended variations on the theme that achieving adulthood is not for fainthearted sissies. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. The peaceful, primitive Yendri tribe is no match for the Riders who conquered and enslaved them. Only Gard, a half-demon foundling, bears enough anger to fight back but finds himself cast out of the tribe. Captured by mages who rule an underground realm, Gard secretly learns their magic to try to escape and redeem himself in the eyes of his people. Returning to the fantasy world of The Anvil of the World, the author of the popular series about the Company (e.g., The Sons of Heaven) demonstrates her gift for epic storytelling on a compact scale, grand in scope yet touched with small moments of wry humor. Gard's journey from monster to man encompasses every person's struggle to be human and to reconcile the light and dark within himself. Highly recommended for most libraries.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765323125
• ISBN-13: 978-0765323125
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,439,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book!, July 29, 2009

By 

S. Duke "SMD" (Placerville, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House of the Stag (Hardcover)

Every once in a while you come across a book that raises the bar, that blows the competition out of the water. Some years back, that book was Harry Potter (or books, to be more accurate); now, Kage Baker's The House of the Stag has done what few books can ever do.

The House of the Stag is a modern fairytale that chronicles the struggle of a young man after his people, the Yendri, are invaded by a barbaric, horseback-riding people called the Riders. As his people are rounded up and killed or turned into slaves, a strange figure appears called the Star, who takes on the role of a prophet. But Gard refuses to accept the "sit and do nothing" stance of the Star and takes matters into his own hands. When his actions get him accused as a murderer by his own people, he finds himself exiled and flung out into the wider, more dangerous world beyond. There he discovers new cultures and customs, and important information about his past, all while vowing to gain the power and influence he needs to destroy the Riders once and for all and free his people forever.

Baker's novel is an astonishing fantasy tale, with rich detail, fantastic world building, enjoyable, complex characters, and a unique postmodern structure that is as readily aware of its fairytale roots as it is of its emotionally impacted literary attention to issues of (post)colonialism, slavery, and racism. That's a mouthful, for sure, but The House of the Stag deserves such long-winded praise. This book influenced me so much that I actually used it for a second senior thesis during my final quarter at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I now regret having never read anything else by Ms. Baker, because her writing is impeccable, her characters are realistically flawed, and her world is stunning in its design. You can't ask for much more in a stand alone fantasy novel.

The most difficult thing about reviewing this book is trying to find the cons of Baker's story. I loved the book from start to finish, which leaves me with only one complaint: the chapters are too long. A pointless complaint? Yes, but to say that any book is perfect is to tell a lie. The House of the Stag is not a perfect novel, but it is certainly close.

The House of the Stag is the kind of novel for anyone who wants something more in their fantasy. This is not your typical tale of elves and magic, talking animals. It's a modernized fairytale replete with the escapist power of epic fantasy. As such, lovers of virtually any kind of fantasy should enjoy The House of the Stag. Baker's book is, in my opinion, a one of a kind fantasy treat.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dark fantasist parable, September 18, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House of the Stag (Hardcover)

The Yendri are a gentle innocent people living in contentment in their valley protected from outsiders by mountains until the Riders showed up. They viciously enslave the tranquil Yendri, working them in the fields until they die. Their spiritual guide promises them their freedom from bondage to a new land led by the Promised Child. Meanwhile Gard, a half demon foundling who was banished from the tribe for his violence, keeps attacking the invaders. A baby is found and brought to the Yendri to raise; they assume she is the Promised Child.

Gard gets frozen while trying to climb the mountain and believes he is going to die. Instead he is found and made into a slave by the mages who are bound by magic to live in the mountain.. The mages are evil and decadent and love seeing slaves kill each other in the arena. Gard quickly learns how to maneuver his hosts so they will trust him while he plots his escape. He and the Promised Child known as the Saint are fated to meet and their relationship will change both their worlds.

Kage Baker, author of the Company series, returns to her THE ANVIL OF THE WORLD realm with a dark fantasist parable. THE HOUSE OF STAG is character driven with the spiritual guide and the Promised Child having differing parallels to the Bible. There is plenty of action, the usual trademark wry but desert dry humor, and tons of intrigue. Gard is the prime star as the half demon shows with his risk taking actions he has a heart of goodness in spite of his nasty reputation. The Saint incongruously has the goodness PR spin, but ironically fans will observe some noted discrepancies in her lifestyle. Biblical references aside, readers will enjoy this magnificent tale.

Harriet Klausner

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, Kage Baker, for another great story!, November 2, 2008

By 

Bonnie Wren "Huntress of Dirty Socks" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The House of the Stag (Hardcover)

If you've never read any of Kage Baker's books, you are in for a treat. This gal knows how to tell a great story.

"The House of the Stag" is a prequel, explaining the background that ultimately becomes the setting for the rollicking "Anvil of the World". (If you haven't read "Anvil", "The House of the Stag" stands rock solid on its own. But don't cheat yourself out of reading "Anvil", too.)

I don't know what I like best about Kage Baker. Her world-building is logical and satisfying. Her adventure keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Her characters are fascinating, wonderful, unforgettable, all of them worthy of stories of their own. Baker may not use clay and lightning to bring them to life, but she does an equivalent job with paper and pen.

Her romance grabs your heart and never lets go -- without a single cringe. (Think Kirk Douglas and Jean Simmons in "Spartacus". Or Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn in "Terminator".) And she's got the Elizabethan aptitude for describing sex oh, so salaciously -- without battering you with the technical details.

Best of all, she has a talent for humorously laying bare human foibles without ever being preachy. Like Twain, she draws you into subtle social commentary that is wickedly spot-on, but you won't notice because you're having so much fun.

If Kage Baker's name is on the cover, I will always plunk my money down. I save her books for long weekends when I know I'm going to be able to read them through at least twice. Her books are definitely "re-readers."

(And if you are like me, reading anything else right after one of Baker's books is always a letdown, so you might as well read it again.)

If you don't buy this book, get "Anvil of the World", or start the Company Novel series with "In the Garden of Iden".

If you'd rather first dip your toes into Baker's short stories, I recommend "Mother Aegypt and Other Stories". All of the stories in it are top notch. I also adore "Empress of Mars".

Excellent, excellent stuff, all of it.