Print List Price:	$17.00
Kindle Price:	$5.99 Save $11.01 (65%)
Sold by:	Penguin Group (USA) LLC Price set by seller.

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible narration to your purchase for just $7.49

Read with Our Free App

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

The King's Justice by [Stephen R. Donaldson]

Follow the Author

Stephen R. Donaldson

The King's Justice Kindle Edition

by Stephen R. Donaldson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 456 ratings

See all formats and editions

Two new, original novellas—Donaldson's first publication since finishing the Thomas Covenant series—are a sure cause for celebration among his many fans.

In The King's Justice, a stranger dressed in black arrives in the village of Settle's Crossways, following the scent of a terrible crime. He even calls himself "Black," though almost certainly that is not his name. The people of the village discover that they have a surprising urge to cooperate with this stranger, though the desire of inhabitants of quiet villages to cooperate with strangers is not common in their land, or most lands. But this gift will not save him as he discovers the nature of the evil concealed in Settle's Crossways.

The "Augur's Gambit" is a daring plan created by Mayhew Gordian, Hieronomer to the Queen of Indemnie, a plan to save his Queen and his country. Gordian is a reader of entrails. In the bodies of chickens, lambs, piglets, and one stillborn infant he sees the same message: the island nation of Indemnie is doomed. But even in the face of certain destruction a man may fight, and the Hieronomer is utterly loyal to his beautiful Queen--and to her only daughter. The "Augur's Gambit" is his mad attempt to save a kingdom.

Print length

311 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Ace
Publication date

October 13, 2015
File size

2121 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Stephen R. Donaldson
361
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $14.99
Stephen R. Donaldson
1,065
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Stephen R. Donaldson
635
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $14.99
Stephen R. Donaldson
627
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.99
Stephen R. Donaldson
2,336
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $13.99
Stephen R. Donaldson
472
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Skillfully crafted characters...Readers who enjoyed the complex characters and layered plots of his Thomas Covenant novels will find similar pleasures in these two tales.”—Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Thomas Covenant Chronicles

“[A] landmark fantasy saga.”—Entertainment Weekly

“A trilogy of remarkable scope and sophistication.”—Los Angeles Times

“The most original fantasy since The Lord of the Rings.”—Time Out

“I don’t think books like this come along more than a few times in a lifetime.”—Marion Zimmer Bradley

“Will certainly find a place on the small list of true classics.”—The Washington Post Book World

“Covenant is Donaldson’s genius.”—The Village Voice --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Stephen R. Donaldson is the author of the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, a landmark in modern fantasy. Every volume, beginning with Lord Foul's Bane in 1977, has been an international bestseller. Donaldson returned to the series with The Runes of the Earth in 2004, and completed it with The Last Dark in 2013. He lives in New Mexico. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

THE KING’S JUSTICE

The man rides his horse along the old road through the forest in a rain as heavy as a damask curtain--a rain that makes dusk of midafternoon. The downpour, windless, strikes him from the long slash of open sky that the road cuts through the trees. It makes a sound like a waterfall among the leaves and branches, a damp roar that deafens him to the slap of his mount’s hooves. Ahead it blinds him to the road’s future. But he is not concerned. He knows where he is going. The broad brim of his leather hat and the oiled canvas of his cloak spare him from the worst of the wet, and in any case he has ridden in more frightening weather, less natural elements. His purpose is clear.
Shrouded by the deluge and covered by his dark gear, he looks as black as the coming night--a look that suits him, though he does not think about such things. Having come so far on this journey, and on many others, he hardly thinks at all as he rides. Brigands are no threat to him, even cutthroats desperate enough to hunt in this rain. Only his destination matters, but even that does not require thought. It will not until he reaches it.
Still his look does suit him. Black is the only name to which he answers. Many years ago, in a distant region of the kingdom, he had a name. His few comrades from that time--all dead now--knew him as Coriolus Blackened. But he has left that name behind, along with other pieces of who he once was. Now he is simply Black. Even his title rarely intrudes on who he has become, though it defines him.
He and his drenched horse are on this road because it leads to a town--so he has been told--called Settle’s Crossways. But he would have taken the same road for the same purpose without knowing the name of the place. If Settle’s Crossways had been a village, or a hamlet, or even a solitary inn rather than a town, he would still have ridden toward it, though it lies deep in the forests that form the northern border of the kingdom. He can smell what he seeks from any distance. Also the town is a place where roads and intentions come together. Such things are enough to set and keep him on his mount despite the pounding rain and the gloom under the trees.
He is Black. Long ago, he made himself, or was shaped, into a man who belongs in darkness. Now no night scares him, and no nightmare. Only his purpose has that power. He pursues it so that one day it will lose its sting.
A vain hope, as he knows well. But that, too, does not occupy his thoughts. That, too, he will not think about until he reaches his destination. And when he does think about it, he will ignore himself. His purpose does not care that he wants it to end.
The road has been long to his horse, though not to Black, who does not protract it with worry or grief. He is patient. He knows that the road will end, as all roads must. Destinations have that effect. They rule journeys in much the same way that they rule him. He will arrive when he arrives. That is enough.
Eventually the rain begins to dwindle, withdrawing its curtains. Now he can see that the forest on both sides has also begun to pull back. Here trees have been cut for their wood, and also to clear land for fields. This does not surprise him, though he does not expect a town named Settle’s Crossways to be a farming community. People want open spaces, and prosperous people want wider vistas than the kingdom’s poor do.
The prosperous, Black has observed, also attend more to religion. Though they know their gods do not answer prayer, they give honor because they hope that worship will foster their prosperity. In contrast, the poor have neither time nor energy to spare for gods that pay no heed. The poor are not inclined to worship. They are consumed by their privations.
This Black does think about. He distrusts religions and worship. Unanswered prayers breed dissatisfaction, even among those who have no obvious cause to resent their lives. In turn, their dissatisfactions encourage men and women who yearn to be shaped in the image of their preferred god. Such folk confuse and complicate Black’s purpose.
So he watches more closely as his horse trudges between fields toward the outbuildings of the town. The rain has become a light drizzle, allowing him to see farther. Though dusk is falling instead of rain, he is able to make out the ponderous cone of a solitary mountain, nameless to him, that stands above the horizon of trees in the east. From the mountain’s throat arises a distinct fume that holds its shape in the still air until it is obscured by the darkening sky. Without wind, he cannot smell the fume, but he has no reason to think that its odor pertains to the scent which guides him here. His purpose draws him to people, not to details of terrain. People take actions, some of which he opposes. Like rivers and forests, mountains do not.
Still he regards the peak until the town draws his attention by beginning to light its lamps--candles and lanterns in the windows of dwellings, larger lanterns welcoming folk to the entrances of shops, stables, taverns, inns. Also there are oil-fed lamps at intervals along his road where it becomes a street. This tells Black that Settle’s Crossways is indeed prosperous. Its stables, chandlers, milliners, feed lots, and general stores continue to invite custom as dusk deepens. Its life is not overburdened by destitution.
Prosperous, Black observes, and recently wary. The town is neither walled nor gated, as it would be if it were accustomed to defend itself. But among the outbuildings stands a guardhouse, and he sees three men on duty, one walking back and forth across the street, one watching at the open door of the guardhouse, one visible through a window. Their presence tells Black that Settle’s Crossways is now anxious despite its habit of welcome.
Seeing him, the two guards outside summon the third, then position themselves to block the road. When the three are ready, they show their weapons, a short sword gleaming with newness in the lamplight, a crossbow obtained in trade from a kingdom far to the west, and a sturdy pitchfork with honed tines. The guards watch Black suspiciously as he approaches, but their suspicion is only in part because he is a stranger who comes at dusk. They are also suspicious of themselves because they are unfamiliar with the use of weapons. Two are tradesmen, one a farmer, and their task sits uncomfortably on their shoulders.
As he nears them, Black slows his horse’s plod. Before he is challenged, he dismounts. Sure of his beast, he drops the reins and walks toward the guards, a relaxed amble that threatens no one. He is thinking now, but his thoughts are hidden by the still-dripping brim of his hat and the darkness of his eyes.
“Hold a moment, stranger,” says the tradesman with the sword. He speaks without committing himself to friendliness or animosity. “We are cautious with men we do not know.”
He has it in mind to suggest that the stranger find refuge in the forest for the night. He wants the man who looks like a shadow of himself to leave the town alone until he can be seen by clear daylight. But Black speaks first.
“At a crossroads?” he inquires. His voice is rusty with disuse, but it does not imply iron. It suggests silk. “A prosperous crossroads, where caravans and wagons from distant places must be common? Surely strangers pass this way often. Why have you become cautious?”
As he speaks, Black rubs casually at his left forearm with two fingers.
For reasons that the tradesman cannot name, he lowers his sword. He finds himself looking at his companions for guidance. But they are awkward in their unaccustomed role. They shift their feet and do not prompt their spokesman.
Black sees this. He waits.
After a moment, the sworded guard rallies. “We have a need for the King’s Justice,” he explains, troubled by the sensation that this is not what he had intended to say, “but it is slow in coming. Until it comes, we must be wary.”
Then the farmer says, “The King’s Justice is always slow.” He is angry at the necessity of his post. “What is the use of it, when it comes too late?”
More smoothly now, Black admits, “I know what you mean. I have often felt the same myself.” Glancing at each of the guards in turn, he asks, “What do you require to grant passage? I crave a flagon of ale, a hot meal, and a comfortable bed. I will offer whatever reassurance you seek.”
The farmer’s anger carries him. Thinking himself cunning, he demands, “Where are you from, stranger?”
“From?” muses Black. “Many places, all distant.” The truth will not serve his purpose. “But most recently?” He names the last village through which he passed.
The farmer pursues his challenge, squinting to disguise his cleverness. “Will they vouch for you there?”
Black smiles, which does not comfort the guards. “I am not forgotten easily.”
Still the farmer asks, “And how many days have you ridden to reach us?” He knows the distance.
Black does not. He counts destinations, not days in the saddle. Yet he says without hesitation, “Seven.”
The farmer feels that he is pouncing. “You are slow, stranger. It is a journey of five days at most. Less in friendly weather.”
Rubbing at his forearm again, Black indicates his mount with a nod. The animal slumps where it stands, legs splayed with weariness. “You see my horse. I do not spur it. It is too old for speed.”
The farmer frowns. The stranger’s answer perplexes him, though he does not know why. Last year, he made the same journey in five days easily himself, and he does not own a horse. Yet he feels a desire to accept what he hears.
For the first time, the tradesman with the crossbow speaks. “That is clear enough,” he tells his comrades. “He was not here. We watch for a bloody ruffian, a vile cutthroat, not a well-spoken man on an old horse.”
The other guards scowl. They do not know why their companion speaks as he does. He does not know himself. But they find no fault with his words.
When the sworded man’s thoughts clear, he declares, “Then tell us your name, stranger, and be welcome.”
“I am called Black,” Black replies with the ease of long experience. “It is the only name I have.”
Still confused, the guards ponder a moment longer. Then the farmer and the man with the crossbow stand aside. Reclaiming the reins of his horse, Black swings himself into the saddle. As he rides past the guards, he touches the brim of his hat in a salute to the man with the sword.
By his standards, he enters Settle’s Crossways without difficulty.
In his nose is the scent of an obscene murder. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00SI0B5YY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ace (October 13, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 13, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2121 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 311 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #397,446 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3,642 in Dark Fantasy Horror
- #5,683 in Dark Fantasy
- #6,919 in Epic Fantasy (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 456 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Stephen R. Donaldson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

456 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Sneaky Burrito

not quite like Donaldson's other work, but I enjoyed both novellas

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

I've been tearing through Kindle books lately so when I went back through my wishlist looking for something new and found this, I bought it right away. Stephen R. Donaldson is one of my favorite authors, not only for the Thomas Covenant books, but also for some other short stories and the Mordant's Need duology, so I was pretty sure I'd be happy with this.

This is a pretty quick read. There are two novellas, The King's Justice and The Augur's Gambit; the second of these is quite a bit longer than the first. (I think I read The King's Justice in one sitting.)

The writing style is not as grandiose as in the Covenant books, with a more limited vocabulary (to be clear, it is not a limited vocabulary by the standard of an average author, just by Donaldson's standard in the Covenant books, which I did think were reaching for the thesaurus fairly often). There's a fair amount of description in both, but I am kind of OK with that in a way that I might not be in a full-length novel. There is important information to get across but just not as much time, due to the novella format, to set it up. I never felt I was being lectured to. When new information is learned, especially in The Augur's Gambit, the narrator (Mayhew, a hieronomer who reads possible futures in the entrails of animals), the main character is the one learning it. There is a lot about the history of his kingdom he doesn't know, and he desperately seeks information that will aid his Queen in the event of a coming threat. He is a good proxy for the reader, actually, because even when he is thinking about his own craft, he is doing it in a way that makes sense for someone who practices it nearly every day.

I think the novella format is suitable for both stories. The settings of both are limited enough that not a lot of travel or exploration is possible. In The King's Justice, we are mostly in a small town and its environs. It is big enough to have two churches, a wheelwright, and several places to eat, but it is still pretty small. In The Augur's Gambit, we are on an isolated island with five barons only, as well as a Queen. Travel has not been possible in The Augur's Gambit, but the kingdom is prosperous. The narrator, "Black," from The King's Justice, does travel, but the novella focuses on what he finds in only one place. The King's Justice is resolved in such a way that you are left satisfied, although I do also kind of want to read more about Black and his history. The Augur's Gambit also has a clear ending, though I have to admit I want to see more of the wider world and learn more about the island's history. I also want to read more about the research Mayhew is planning with some newly-gained knowledge. Anyway, the settings and lengths of both are appropriate for the stories they tell, but I can also see expanding one or both into a larger series of works.

Magic has its limitations in both. Although they're not explored in as much detail as someone like Brandon Sanderson would put in, I again think the level was appropriate for both settings. People call for The King's Justice without really understanding what it means. Although Black travels alone, he can't do his work completely alone. Although he is tough, he's not invincible. He can sense evil in a general sense, but he still has to gather information from townsfolk. He is doing good work, and you can see that, but he has lost his identity to his mission. And late in the work, he is given a choice about whether to continue with the mission or not. I won't spoil his answer, and I really wasn't sure until I actually read it what he would choose, given the nature of his work and the awful things he's seen. The King's Justice is written in the present tense, for what it's worth.

The Augur's Gambit is more of a high fantasy work. The Queen doesn't want to give Mayhew too much information about her plans for fear of coloring his interpretations of entrails, so he also has to seek help elsewhere. It seems the higher the organism, the better the information, but even Mayhew has his limits (though the Queen seems not to have the same limits). There is also a science of alchemy that requires a peculiar source of energy; it is rare and this has implications for the island as a whole. It actually ties in to the Queen's plans rather nicely, even though her plans are a little loopy. She is thinking about the welfare of her kingdom but has a strange way of going about solving problems.

Anyway, character development: we don't see a lot of it in The King's Justice, but that novella is quite short. I get the sense that character development is not the point of that one. However, Black is still interesting and sympathetic. We see more of it in The Augur's Gambit, learning of Mayhew's family background, his opinions of the Princess's bodyguards, the Queen, the Princess herself, and his academic interests. We also see it when he has to dress up in a guard's uniform and not trip over or hit someone with his halberd, since he is unused to carrying a weapon. His reaction is kind of funny, but also quite realistic. Even though his work is kind of disgusting, I rather like him.

Anyway, although neither of these would work as-is, as a novel, I think the worldbuilding, settings, plots, and characters are appropriate for novellas. There's a bit of a darker tone in The King's Justice and some humor in The Augur's Gambit (even if just with character names), so they make an interesting pairing. But it's been a few years now since I read the final Thomas Covenant book and I was looking for more work from one of my favorite authors, so I was definitely happy to have found these.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Lynne Cantwell

Two Donaldson novellas in one book - awesome!

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

I'm always glad for a new book by Stephen R. Donaldson, and these two novellas did not disappoint.

The King's Justice is the first of two novellas in this book. The fellow on the cover is Black, the protagonist. As the story opens, it's clear he's on a mission for his king. It's also clear, as he approaches the village of Settle's Crossways, that he has the power to encourage people to help him and give him information they might otherwise have kept to themselves. And information is what Black is after, for an evil has wormed its way into the fabric of Settle's Crossways, and it's Black's job to set things right for the king -- no matter what it takes.

This story is written in present tense -- a departure from Donaldson's other work, but it's necessary, I think, for the theme of the story. Black lives his life in the present. He doesn't think about his life before he was employed by the king -- or what was done to him so he could do this job -- and he certainly doesn't think about the future.

Some Goodreads reviewers have complained about the gore in this story. There's one tough scene, and it's mild compared to the GAP books (and very mild compared to some battle scenes I've read by other fantasy authors).

The second novella is The Augur's Gambit, and I've been waiting to hear the ending of this story ever since I heard Donaldson read the beginning few pages at the World Fantasy Convention last year. Our hero here is Mayhew Gordian, hieronomer to the queen of Indemnie, Inimica Phlegathon deVry the Fourth. And his plight is a gordian knot indeed, for he learns that his queen has proposed marriage to each of her barons, including the married ones, in an effort to discover which of them is plotting against her. But that's not all. Besides Indemnie's internal intrigue, another power threatens the island nation from across the sea. Gordian has read the entrails countless times, but he does not know the outcome of either dilemma. And he's beset by a personal problem, as well -- his attraction to the queen's daughter, Excrucia Phlegathon deVry. (Yes, that's right -- the love interest is named Excrucia.)

The story seems much in the model of Donaldson's Mordant's Need series -- high fantasy, with an inscrutable ruler, grasping barons, and at least one unexpected plot twist. I enjoyed those, and I enjoyed this story, as well.

I'd recommend any of Donaldson's books, of course. But if you're new to his writing, this volume is a good way to sample his style before committing to a series.
***
Originally published at Rursday Reads.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Brian

Too short.

Reviewed in Australia on February 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

Love this guys writing - honestly cant get enough of it- which made me feel sad this book is more like a short story than a novel - but good story anyway.

David Barker

Another excellent book by Donaldson

Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

Once again Stephen R Donaldson comes through with an excellent book. Reading his work is like listening to a Beethoven symphony where every note is both necessary and a delight. The pacing, story, rich text, and intriguing characters are very fulfilling. Thanks for your gift to us all!

One person found this helpful

theThought

Its great to be able to get back to one of ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

Its great to be able to get back to one of my favourite authors. I read Thomas Covenant over 30 years ago and loved the style, grit and impact of the characters and stories. While this is just a short novella, it still has echoes of that same quality of story writing. I recommend this as a fresh story that will interest you from beginning to end and might even convince you to read/re-read the Thomas Covenant series.

2 people found this helpful

Was Chaudry

Classic Donaldson

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2017

Verified Purchase

A short story by my favourite author of all time. Good, gripping and involving. The pages flew past until it was finished.

I don't want to give too much away but the plot is fairly standard. A person working for the 'King's Justice travels to a small town to investigate a strange murder. This is set in a fantasy scenario and all is not as it seems.

It's quite a short story but read it and enjoy it.

One person found this helpful

K. Bennett

Donaldson at his best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2019

Verified Purchase

A riveting short story from this titan of the fantasy genre. Told in a very different, yet thoroughly engaging style than his magnum opus, this was a story I quite literally could not put down. A well conceived and convincing central character moves one quickly yet thoroughly through his experience as the King's Justice and the unusual encounters that this leads to.

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the Author

The King's Justice Kindle Edition

Customers who read this book also read

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

Videos

About the author

Stephen R. Donaldson

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries