The Lords of Dus [Hardcover]

Lawrence Watt-Evans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Garth asked an oracle how he could be remembered forever. The answer sent him into a web of treachery, of ancient secrets and forbidden knowledge, and entangled him in matters far beyond his understanding, until he found himself face to face with the gods of destruction and death.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Lords of D–s, by Hugo winner and HWA past president Lawrence Watt-Evans, collects all four novels (The Lure of the Basilisk, etc.) in the series featuring Garth of Ordunin, first published by Del Rey, that established Lawrence's reputation in the fantasy field. This omnibus volume includes updated appendices from the original Del Rey and later Wildside editions.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Borgo Press (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587156652
• ISBN-13: 978-1587156656
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #965,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been writing fantasy for thirty years... no, my fantasy's been published for thirty years. I've been writing it since I was eight. It's what I always wanted to do for a living, and I've been very fortunate in that I've been able to manage that. I try to write fantasy with an element of common sense to it -- not so much mythic archetypes as sensible people.

Other than my job, my life's pretty ordinary -- a nice house in a quiet neighborhood, a wife, two grown kids, and an overweight cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enduring Classic, July 30, 2002

By 

The Orange Duke "orangeduke" (Cupertino, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lords of Dus (Hardcover)

Watt-Evens is a brilliant fantasy writer, and here at last is his masterpiece, all collected in one place. This four book series is rightly help up in the first rant of epic fantasy with Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings. The story is more in line with Moorcock's Elric series, dealing as it does with the doings of Gods and demonic blades, but Watt-Evens' work is far superior to Moorecock's. Watt-Evens' three dimensional characters have realistic reactions to their bizarre circumstances, and his world is fleshed and surprise filled. Each book is worthy of five stars and the whole series is almost to good to be true. Recommended to any fantasy fan.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Fantasy Tale in a Classy Package, October 15, 2007

By 

Richard Staats (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lords of Dus (Hardcover)

Lawrence Watt Evans hit a home run with his Lords of Dus. I first started reading the series while assigned overseas in the 1980s. I read these stories to my children as they grew up, and all of them went out and bought their own copies as they became young adults.

The stories trace the adventures of Gar, Prince of the Overmen, as he undertakes a quest "to be remembered until the end of time." He succeeds, and like any great story Gar succeeds in a way that is perfectly literally true, but does not resemble his initial vision in any reasonable form.

Lawence Watt-Evans effortlessly creates a group of characters that live and breath in his tales. Some modern speculative fiction has me struggling to find even a single character to identify with whereas I can usually find a half a dozen, believable, and empathetic characters in Watt-Evans' works.

His stories are engaging. The characters have real issues at stake, and they behave in realistic and believable ways. Best of all, his characters undergo realistic changes and growth throughout the stories. Gar at the end of the series would hardly recognize Gar at the beginning of the tales.

This volume also contains some wonderful commentary and previously unpublished pieces.

The price tag might seem a little steep, but consider this volume is one that you and your children will probably return to time and time again. It is one I intend on reading to my grandchildren.

Nicely done Lawrence Watt-Evans! (Yes, I did learn my lesson and will never call you Larry again!) ;-)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great fantasy story, November 9, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lords of Dus (Hardcover)

Tired of a world filled with death and decay, Garth the Overman is directed by an oracle to go south into the human lands and serve one known as the Forgotten King, where he will win fame that will endure to the end of the world. But, little does Garth dream of what his service will mean. Seeking to avoid the full effect of the Forgotten King's machinations, but pulled onward by fate, Garth will go where he never thought to go and do things that he never wanted to do.

I am a great fan of Lawrence Watt-Evans' wonderful Ethshar series, and now that I can't find any more to read, I decided to move onto his Lords of Dus series. Well, I was not disappointed! This is a great fantasy tetralogy, complete with magic, strange creatures, and lots of swordplay. In particular, I found the author's use of a non-human as the protagonist to be quite intriguing and masterfully done.

So, if you are a fan of fantasy literature, then you must get this book, which is all four books in one. You will not be disappointed!