Hazard's Price (The Chronicle of the Unbinding, Book 1) (Paperback)

by Robert S. Stone (Author) "Two weeks later and a hundred miles away, Madh crouched noiselessly behind the red sandstone wall of a different estate..." (more)
Key Phrases: gold capital, old thief, Barr Aston, Taylor Ash, Atahr Vin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
In a fantasy world of powerful rulers, streetwise criminals, wizards, and magic, Hazard was once a spy or a crook, depending on who tells his story. Now an absurdly rich dealer in electrical generators, he is being framed for a mysterious series of murders of retired government officials. After rejecting an odd attempt to hire him to do so-called research, and despite risking his respectable false identity, he gets involved in the hunt for the killer. Like a certain kind of action movie, the book moves at a rip-roaring pace, capturing interest with speed rather than craft. No earth-shattering message arises out of it, but it entertains, which is as valid as possessing some elusive literary quality; and by the final chapters, knowing what happens to its characters has become an important matter. The book, first in a projected series, isn't quite a self-contained story yet has some sense of an ending. Here's hoping loose ends are tied, bad guys take the fall, and the hero rides into the sunset later on. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
Long ago, a brutal war between the countries of Chaldus and Yndor left the mages with blood on their hands. To rid the world of destructive magic, they performed the Binding -- and vowed that never again would a magical war be fought upon the land. But the Unbinding has begun... Someone is killing former Chaldean ministers -- and leaving a unique calling card: a gold coin in their mouths. Galatine Hazard recognizes the sign, because once it was his own trademark. He's a respected man now, but someone is setting him up. To clear his name, Hazard has to reach back into his bag of tricks to catch the killer, a wily assassin who could bring the country to the brink of war -- and unleash the power of the ancients... --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Ace (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441008372
• ISBN-13: 978-0441008377
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,925,008 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good Debut!, August 7, 2001

By	Rodney Powell "fairmont66" (Macon,Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Stone has written a very good novel that combines the genres of sword&sorcery with spy thriller. Long ago a terrible war was fought between two nations:Chaldus and Yndor and it was fought by mages to prevent another war of magic from rising up a spell was woven.The spell took most of the magic from the world.This was called the binding.Only a selective few ministers from these countries know the words to undo the spell.And Now someone is killing these ministers and torturing them to gain the words for that spell.Galatine Hazard, a rich businessman, who has a dark past as a thief and spy is being framed for those murders.He must stop the assasin before he brings two countries to war and unlease the powers of that spell! Stone's novel has some gripping scenes of intrigue, magic and action.This novel also has some memorable characters like Hazard who finds out that you cannot escape your past.Taylor Ash-the courageous head of Chaldean Intelligence.Cain-Hazard's best friend and business associate.Aston-the wily retired head of chaldean intelligence and wizard.Hain-the sadist assasin who is hired for the murders. The only that prevented me from giving it five-stars is Stone takes too long to get Hazard on the trail of the assasin and this novel is another ... (sigh) series in the making because there is a cliffhanger.But all and all a impressive debut.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed, but promising, October 31, 2001

By	Laura Baldwin (Somerville, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My impression, on finishing Hazard's Price, is that it was a first book by an author who is going to be really good once he properly hits his stride. The situation he sets up is complex, the characters are varied and two-dimensional. However, there were (for me) too many main characters who had minimal time devoted to showing them, so it was difficult to distinguish who they were and why they were doing things. The head of the Ministry of Intelligence could have been more intelligent, the Complex Backstory behind the friendship of Hazard and his companion is synopsized a couple of times and portrayed as Highly Significant, but it always comes up in bullet list form and I could never care about it properly.

I've read far worse first books, with far less ambitious goals, and I do look forward to seeing the rest of the series.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Debut!, August 24, 2001

By	John Henahan "john-atlanta" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This great debut by Mr. Stone is a stunningly mature and exciting read. It keeps you guessing with unexpected twists and has a writing style that is at once both literate and energetic. I started this book in the hope that I would have a chance to finish it on vacation. Instead, I finished it before my vacation even started! I could not put this book down. As an avid reader of science fiction/fantasy I have read my share of mindless novels. This book is anything but mindless. It recalls to my mind the fantastic Roger Zelazny series that was awarded both the prestiguous Hugo (mystery) and Nebula (science fiction) awards. You will be quickly caught up in the mystery that Mr. Stone carefull unfolds in this first of a series. My only complaint: when does the second one come out!