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![]() | The Gilded Chain (1998) (The first book in the King's Blades series) A novel by Dave Duncan |
| "Just the sort of marvelous yarn that lured me into reading fantasy and SF." Anne McCaffrey |
A tale of magical bodyguards
"The Gilded Chain" is a standalone fantasy novel, so if cliffhanger endings rile you, don't worry. It also begins a series of books about the sorcerous bodyguards called The King's Blades, and thus it should appeal to those who like to explore a larger world. (This is known as eating your cake and having it too.) The main characters are the swordsman Durendal and his lord, King Ambrose IV of Chivial.
I set out to write a sword-and-sorcery, because none of my previous books had exactly fitted into that sub-genre. To some extent I succeeded, because there are monsters and clashing swords, but this is certainly not a typical example. (I never manage to write anything typical.) It has been winning a lot of rave reviews and a few boos, which is a healthy mixture.
Although I have created some bizarre worlds in my time, the land of Chivial, in which "The Gilded Chain" is set, is an obvious rerun of Tudor (16th Century) England, with Ambrose playing the role of Henry VIII. This is not entirely due to laziness. The comfy-familiar feel of the background lets readers find their way into the story more easily, and when Durendal does arrive in distant Samarinda, the contrast is all the greater.
But enough of telling ABOUT the story. Why not let me introduce you to the Blades themselves--Sir Wolfbiter, Sir Montpurse, Sir Quarrel and the greatest of them all, Sir Durendal...? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Genre: Fantasy
See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
Hardback Editions
| Title: Gilded Chain: : A Tale of the King's Blades Author(s):: Dave Duncan ISBN: 1417710187 / 9781417710188 (USA edition) Publisher: San Val Availability: Amazon Amazon CA Amazon UK |
| Title: Gilded Chain (Tale of the King's Blades) Author(s):: Dave Duncan ISBN: 0380974606 / 9780380974603 (USA edition) Publisher: Harper Voyager Availability: Amazon Amazon CA Amazon UK |
Paperback Editions
| Title: The Gilded Chain:: A Tale of the King's Blades Author(s):: Dave Duncan ISBN: 0380791269 / 9780380791262 (USA edition) Publisher: Harper Voyager Availability: Amazon CA Amazon Amazon UK |
Kindle Editions
| Title: Gilded Chain: A Tale Of The King's Blades Author(s):: Dave Duncan ISBN: B000FCK9EK Publisher: HarperCollins e-books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK |
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