Sir Stalwart (Book One of the King's Daggers) (Paperback)

by Dave Duncan (Author) "ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE DAWN SOME IDIOT BLEW a deafening blast on a bugle right under the dormitory window..." (more)
Key Phrases: Grand Master, Mother Superior, Doctor Skuldigger (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA-A new series set in the same world as Duncan's "The King's Blades" (Avon). Here, teenaged boys are trained at Ironhall to become superb swordsmen who are magically bound to serve the King of Chivial. The monarch is currently in danger because of a tax on sorcery guilds. Blades and White Sisters, women who "sniff" out magic, have foiled several attempts on his life that used magic, but the would-be assassins are getting more clever. Thus, Candidate Stalwart and Emerald, a disgraced White Sister, will be used as bait in a plot to entrap those who are trying to murder the king. Duncan's writing is fast paced and engaging. Stalwart teeters convincingly between teenage angst and adult responsibilities. Emerald is no hapless damsel in distress. Although they triumph in the end, and she receives the reward she desires, the primary villains escape and further adventures are assured. This is a solid introduction to a new series. The focus stays on Stalwart and Emerald, the two teenaged characters. The magic and customs of Chivial are explained for those new to this world. The book contains an excerpt from The Gilded Chain (Avon, 1998), the first book in "The King's Blades" series, which may pique the interest of readers who enjoyed this story.
Susan Salpini, Purcellville Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Classy...irresistible... handosmely crafted...Duncan's people are marvelously believable, his landscapes deliciously exotic, his swordplay breathtaking." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Duncan is a true master of his craft." -- -- SF Site

"Duncan is a true master of his craft." -- SF Site

"Sharp humor and swashbuckling action add charm and vigor to this fantasy adventure fast-paced." -- Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (November 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380800985
• ISBN-13: 978-0380800988
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #686,375 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sharp, March 14, 2000

By	Steve Hooley (Erewhon) - See all my reviews

It's dedicated to Anne McCaffrey, and why not? This book does for Duncan's 'King's Blades' series what the Harper Hall trilogy did for her Pern series: offers a portal for the younger reader to enter without condescending to the older reader. The language is simpler, which lends a sense of urgency to the narrative, and the moral choices are clear-cut. At the time of the Monster War, Candidate Stalwart (known as Wart to his friends) becomes the King's secret agent against a magical plot where a magically-bound Blade would be detected. With hastily-defrocked White Sister Emerald and a load of stinking garlic, he rushes along his mission, tipping his hat to McCaffrey and T.H. White along the way. Keep in mind that the Blades books are darker and not meant for Harry Potter fans. Duncan rewards older readers with a closer look at the weird magic of this world, and a closer look at the White Sisters and their magic-sniffing talent. The sisters see everyone as a blend of the four real elements (earth, air, fire, and water) and of the virtual elements (death, love, time, and chance): one real, one virtual, so they characterize someone as a fire-death person, or an air-chance person. Duncan himself? All eight elements contend in his books, but somehow love always balances the equation.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Duncan Lite is still top value for money, November 27, 1999

By	Karen Miller (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I heard that Dave Duncan was writing a Young Adult companion piece to his Tales of the King's Blades series I was very excited, because the latter ranks in my best fantasy series top 3, along with Robin Hobb and George RR Martin.

Sir Stalwart is clearly written for the younger reader, with a shorter word count and less complex, complicated plot. But it's still vintage Duncan: breathless excitement, great characters and fresh, exciting prose. So few authors these days seem to know how to string words together in an excitingly visual way. The booskshelves are crammed with dull, pedestrian, ordinary prose. Not Duncan. He really knows how to paint a picture with words ... other writers would do well to read his books with an eye to seeing how good prose is written.

While I regret the inevitable condensation of this tale, I still highly recommend it to all action fantasy fans of any age. Roll on the next installment!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and to the point, March 14, 2000

By	student (night class) - See all my reviews

A small Blade? That would be a dagger, and it also describes poor Stalwart, more accurately described as Wart. He's a shrimp, although he can fight like a buzzsaw, and so he's the perfect fellow to be sent on a dangerous mission without being 'bound' as a magical 'King's Blade.' I kept waiting for Wart to pull a sword from a stone, and the boy didn't let me down. Dave Duncan is obviously holding himself back in this young-adult version; it's still intense and rough, and he's obviously forging and sharpening another one in the wings. Go, Dave! Yahoo!