Anyone who reads the fantasy genre has read a story of this type: person from Earth is transplanted to other world. The Seventh Sword, however, plays with the conventions of this type of story a lot, which makes the story far more unique, thought-provoking, and fun than any of the others. Wallie is the antithesis of the fantasy hero--a peace-loving intellectual at heart, an unconventional teacher and a trickster, driven by necessity to do things he hates the thought of.

If you read this series (and I urge you to, several times), pay attention to the Hamlet references, the repetition of "power corrupts", and the water/jewels imagery. These are books that reward deeper readings.

It kills me that this book (and the series) isn't available in a more durable (hardcover) edition! This is one of my favorite series and I have read and re-read it several times over the last few years. Duncan has taken the old "stranger in a strange land" fantasy novel and given it a fresh and delightful new feel. Read the series the first time just to enjoy the interaction. Read it again to see just how many clues leading up to the ending that you missed (and then tell everyone you really knew they were there all along! :) ). Gives the series a try! It is worth your time.

Book 1 of The Seventh Sword

While the formula is now become traditional (man from our world transported to a different universe), this story is an absolute delight to read. The prose is very descriptive and evocative without being flowery or tedious (a very difficult tightrope to walk), the characters quickly develop depth and personalities, and it is very, very easy to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself in the story. The ending prepares you for the next book without really being a cliff-hanger. Sword and sorcery, sort of -- with a twist. Does Clarke's Law explain everything? You decide..

I'd rate this 'G.'

He was the greatest blade of his generation, but assigned an impossible task. Beaumont, along with two other blades, is tasked to take the Knig's chief counselor across half the world to a Russia-like kingdom where they are to meet the King's bride and safely escort her home. This would be a standard task for a trained blade like Beaumont, except that the counselor is dying (and blades whose ward dies are in trouble), the country in between is nearly impassible, and the Czar, Igor, is insane, cruel, and sees conspiracies everywhere. Even Beaumont's abilities with his blade and his rapier-like mind seem inadequate to confront this task. Should he be successful, Beaumont knows what is in store for him--not welcome back as a hero, but suspicion on the part of his own King. For everyone knows that any woman will fall for a blade--even if she is a royal princess and the King's intended.

Author David Duncan creates a medieval world close to our own, but separated by the existance of magic. The magic of the blades--a band of trained warriors who become bonded to the man (or woman) who pierces them with a sword through their hearts, adds a level of fascination to the story. Beaumont might be a little too smart, too clever, to be believable, but his situation demands exactly that from him and he doesn't disappoint. Duncan's strong writing compells the reader forward and the close parallels back to our own world ground the reader.

This novel, fourth in the King's Blade series, is the story of Sir Beaumont, a protege of Sir Roland and probably the best swordsman ever produced by Ironhall. Moreover, Beaumont is a political genius, a Machiavelli, a Mycroft Holmes to Roland's Sherlock.

Ned is born in a rich Alderman's household as the cook's[son]. While never acknowledged by his father, he lives in this household for almost twelve years. Upon the master's [demise], however, he is shipped off to Ironhold.

When Ned arrives, Sir Roland has just become the acting head of Ironhall upon the [demise] of the Grand Master. Roland makes time to interview the boy and decides that he is too young. He shows such promise, however, that Roland arranges for Ned to work at a nearby farm for a year.

At his delayed admission to Ironhall, Ned choses the non-traditional name Beaumont. Although now the Brat, he wins admirers among the staff and students and is even allowed to dine with the Sopranos. While he is smaller than average, he is stong and nimble and quickly becomes proficient with all types of swords.

Upon becoming prime, Beau is told that he, as well as Arkell and Oak, are to be bound to Lord Wassail. A loyal supporter of the King during the Thencaster affair, Wassail had adamantly refused to bind Blades to himself, but had been overruled by the King and was convinced by Roland of the necessity. He had been chosen to escort Princess Tasha, niece to the Czar of Skyrria, back to Cavil to become King Athelgar's bride. Thus, the Blades are an honor -- and actual -- guard for the future queen.

Waissal, the Blades and their company take ship to Isoland. In Lavalle, Beau falls in love with Isabelle, an local girl working in the Chivan Ambassador's household. From there the party travels overland to Skyrria. Beau completes his mission and returns with Princess Tasha, but has to leave other members of the mission behind. Worse, his ward has died on the return journey, with homocidial affects among the Blades. Upon their return to Lavalle, Beau marries Isabelle and takes her back to Grandon with him. After reporting to the King, Beau is released from his bond, becomes Ned Cookson once again, and lives as a casual laborer in Grandon.

All this is preliminary to the loss of the paragon, which takes Ned back to Skyrria to conclude the affair.

Duncan provides a vivid portrait of Medieval Russian character and environment. Igor is loosely based on Ivan the Terrible, but even more evil. Fedor, his son, is only casually evil through selfishness. Sophie, Igor's wife, is delightful and her younger sister, Tasha, is naive but good-natured. Dimitri, the older brother of Sophie and Tasha, is loyal and protective, but also naive.

This story has a larger scope than the previous novels. It provides a deeper look at the geography and politics of the Euranian continent and some more about Athelgar's family.

Duncan has surpassed himself with this novel. It has all the hallmarks that you expect him -- likeable but eccentric characters, political chicanery, swordfights, mysterious occurances, etc. -- as well as probably the most notable protaganist of his career, a Beau Geste of substance. With his release from the King's service, Ned is truly a paragon lost.

Don't miss this one!

My wife and I are both Dave Duncan fans. Our favorites have been his Seventh Sword and Man of His Word series, and they both rank high on my reading list for all fantasy authors. Paragon Lost ranks up there with any of Duncan's previous works. It is a big-time get-lost-in-the-time-warp page-turner. Great characters, fast-moving and unpredictable plot, set in an interesting, consistent world. As always, Duncan's characters are believable, flawed (human) but lovable. They move you as you read. Well worth getting in hardback.

...Which I know sounds like hyperbole, but I've yet to read such a detailed world fleshed out with such elegance and ease. The writing is never intrusive--unforgettable characters like Lady Thondi and Brota make great entrances and are given thorough descriptions, but it never feels like the author is just stretching his characterisation muscles. This book seethes with tension and explodes periodically into some great action sequences, but it's perhaps most satisfying as love stories intertwined. No spoilers, but the scene where Jja washes Wallie after his humiliation, or Katanji with Diwa, or Nnanji wooing Thana--these thrill me every time I read them.

You're missing out (especially if you write fantasy) if you judge this series by its cover art. ;)

This three book series is fantastic! A must read! A great love story to boot!

The Seventh Sword is a great series. I couldn't put the books down. Wally Smith dies on earth and wakes to find himself in the body of a master swordsman, living another man's life in another world. Suffice it to say, his 20th century values don't quite match those of the man's body he is inhabiting, which makes for some interesting turns as he runs into people who recognize him...

I first picked up this book about 5 years ago, and I quickly read it, but was upset that it was not part of a series, as it seems Dave Duncan usually writes series and the world in this book was interesting and full of posibilities. I then shelved the book until a month ago, when I realized that I didn't really remember the plot, just that there were a couple of different kinds of Cursed, like Shoolscaths. I read the book, and I think I liked it more the second time through than I did the first. I usually stick to Stephen King instead of sci-fi-fantasy, but this book is a must-read for anyone

This is one of my favorite fantasy books. I have not read anything else by Duncan but I definitely plan to.

Dave Duncan is a legend in creating completely different worlds and having you believe in them! The only thing I found wrong with this book was that I wanted more. His characters are lush and unique and many times I find myself wanting to know the whole story, not just the book's worth. Any author who can leave his readers wanting more is a outstanding one.

The Seventh Sword is an underread and underappreciated trilogy--a lot is going on under the surface of these three books, but the surface is such a readable story that it's accessible to anyone. The plot, as other reviewers have mentioned, is typical fantasy, but there are major, important differences which reveal themselves in this book and The Coming of Wisdom (2nd in the series). Every time I read these books, I'm swept up in the action, but I also see facets and symmetries I hadn't noticed before. This book, more than the first two, delves into the problems of idealism versus necessity, the proper use of power, what a person's identity really is (body, mind, beliefs, values, memories, reactions, desires?), faith and technology, how people grow and develop, and a lot more. The characters are unforgettable--anyone who's read these books will have an instant reaction to names like Katanji, Tomiyano, Thana, Tivanixi, or Jja.

Read these books, and read them again.

"The Reluctant Swordsman" (Seventh Sword, Book 1)introduces the characters and world/universe the author continues with in "The Coming of Wisdom" (Seventh Sword, Book 2)and "The Destiny of the Sword" (Seventh Sword, Book 3). This is a brilliant trilogy which remains at the top of Dave Duncan's impressive body of work. This third book doesn't just follow the first two. It reveals things which the author put there all along, giving the reader a new appreciation of the characters and events. That sounds confusing, but read it and see.

The characters remind me of Dungeons and Dragons Roll Playing Games (D&D RPG's). The hero is a 7th level swordsman who picks up a 7th level priest as a travelling companion. There is the same satisfaction of watching a companion swordsman advance through the ranks as there is developing your own character's skill levels in an RPG. There are also some other character types familiar to RPG's (archer's are held in contempt). This is not one of those cheap knockoffs on a D&D game though. This is just one element of the world the author has created which is kind of fun.

The author created a universe with a multitude of gods, like the Greek and Roman gods. While this is very common in the sword and sorcery genre, Dave Duncan has made the gods active participants in his story. One god makes repeated appearances, talks with the hero, and performs the occasional miracle. The author is able to keep the gods from completely overshadowing the human characters by stressing how they value "free will" for there own purposes. The author's brilliant use of deity characters (a recurring element throughout his best series) add facets to this story which lift it above a simple Conan type "guy with sword" story.

This trilogy has a detailed, multi-leveled plot which twists enough to keep you in suspense right up until the ending. And the ending reaches the appropriate dramatic climax, then has a satisfying denouement where the characters reap their rewards and the author ties up any loose ends. When this book ended, I was left saying, "Wow, imagine that!"

The only thing I can even think of that I didn't like about this trilogy is that it ended. The author really wrapped things up for the characters. It would be almost impossible to continue the story. I do hope that Dave Duncan comes back to this world with some new characters though. Maybe the old characters can have a cameo in the new story. . .

Book 3 of The Seventh Sword [conclusion]

The final book in this series, 'Destiny' isn't as easily read on its own as the first and middle books ('The Reluctant Swordsman' and 'The Soming of Wisdom'). However, this is that rare thing: a trilogy conclusion that really concludes the story. It's an happy ending, no fear -- and it leaves you feeling good and fulfilled, so there's no need for Duncan to write more. (It *could* be done, of course, as McCaffrey did with 'Nerilka's Story,' but it isn't a foregone conclusion that it will be -- or even should be.) Excellent reading; a real page-turner.

This one's rated 'G' by me.

I read the first book of The King's Daggers series in a hotel on the 4th of July. All through the fireworks I was waiting to get back to the book, which is called Sir Stalwart. There are three books in the series - Sir Stalwart, The Crooked House, and Silvercloak. All three are good but I consider Silvercloak the best. Now, if you want to read one of the series, I suggest you start with the first one, otherwise you'll have no idea what's going on.

Silvercloak's main characters are Stalwart and Emerald. Stalwart is a sort of undercover agent for King Ambrose, king of Chivial. His fondest wish is to become a King's Blade - one of the group of warriors that protects the king. Emerald is a White Sister - a person who is trained to detect magic.

Now the story is taking place during a time when Silvercloak, a famous assasin, is planning to kill King Ambrose. Silvercloak has already killed two armed Blades, which is no easy feat. Both Stalwart and Emerald are sent undercover to try and catch Silvercloak.

The beginning of the book mainly tells about Stalwart's and Emerald's going undercover. Stalwart becomes a stable boy in a town near Ironhall, the place where Blades are trained. It is believed that Ironhall is where the assasination attempt will take place. Emerald is placed in Ironhall, as a Blade-in-training, disguised as a boy.

Halfway through the book, the action begins. Stalwart chases Silvercloak to Ironhall and soon all the major characters are gathered there - Stalwart, Emerald, King Ambrose, and Silvercloak. The story goes on to the point where Stalwart is the only defense between the king and assasin as they are trapped on a catwalk with no other help in sight. So, if you want to find out whether, and, if so, how Stalwart and Emerald defeat the invincible assasin, you'll just have to read the book. After all, I can't tell you everything.

Silvercloak is an awesome book throughout, but personally, I think the ending is the best. Silvercloak would be among the top five if I had to make a list of my favorite books. And I read a lot too. It is a wonderful story, very exciting. Probably people that enjoy a sort of medievel story would like it best, but I think it would capture anyone's attention. As for age, it's probably best for ages 11 on up. Silvercloak is one of those books that you can't put down until you've finished it.

Sir Stalwart, the arrogant, clever, skilled King's Dagger, and Emerald, the youngest of the White Sisters, must again face peril for their king, Ambrose. He is being targeted by Silvercloak, a skilled assasin who has never failed. To succeed, Wart has to again face degradation and the humilitation of being called a coward by those who used to be his closest friends, while Emerald must go where no woman has gone before-- to a pit of semi-sadistic boys and men. THis book is a relaxed read, one that seems to be over almost before it starts. You'll love it!

I picked this up, from a local bookstore's sale rack. I did not realize that it was the second installment in a quintet, until I finished reading it. Mr. Duncan does such an excellent job of writing that the story can nearly stand alone, and in the context of the series the book gains even more depth and vision.

I have since tracked down and purchased all of the novels in hardback, since I consider them an essential part of my fantasy collection. As I said in my review of the first book, this book is a shining example of the high fantasy genre, on par with, if not surpassing Tolkien.

Combining lively, likable characters, a grand and tangled plot, and a vivid world this book is superb.

This is the sequel to Dave Duncan's superb novel "Cutting Edge". One of DD specialities is preventing a second or third book in a series from being stricken by the notorious "sequel - syndrom". He keeps up with the high standard he set in "The Cutting Edge". He really must have thought about the story thoroughly before he wrote it, because there are no logical flaws in it as in some other sequels (by other authors, of course). I hope all of his future books will be of the same quality as this one. If you enjoy fantasy, humour, intelligent writing and fun this is the one for you.

I have read Lawrence Watt-Evans' entire world of Esthar series and enjoyed the majority of the books in that series. Based on my experience with the Ethshar series, I decided to give the "Lords of Dus" series a try and having completed the first book I can say the following: The storyline is an entertaining but fairly stock fantasy plot, a hero's quest for glory. The protagonist is well fleshed out, likeable yet pragmatic and complete with personality flaws that make him believable. The world setting is vivid and described well enough, but it would have been nice to have a bit more of the history revealed, explaining the current state of events. For the majority of the book, the plotting was good and moved along at the right clip, only bogging down in a couple of sections. Characters development outside of the protagonist did come across as weak with the majority of the other characters in the story seemingly designed to be disposable. Perhaps this was done intentionally as a way to emphasize the aloofness that a member the main character's race feels towards mere men, but it would still have been nice to have some of the other characters built up a bit. Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to picking up the remaining books in the series.

Take an overmna, mix in mages, fantastic beasts, a quest, wise women of ordunin, and high adventure and you have some gr8 stuff.
Too bad he doesn't write more of this series.
Great interesting stuff that doesn't try and copy tolkien.
very d&d

Watt-Evens is an excellent, if overlooked sci-fi/fantasy writer, and I have been a fan almost as long as he's been writing. This book, the first of the Lords Of Dus or Garth series was the first he published, Dus is his best work, and this is the best of Dus. I can still remember the amazement I felt reading Watt-Evens' book, one of those rare fantasy novels that seems surrounded by a very real and fleshed out world. The main character, acting out of neither good nor noble compunctions is however, a good 'man', which gives hint to the complexity with which Watt-Evens draws his characters and spins his plots. Nothing is as it seems in a Watt-Evens story, and surprise lurks around every corner, and The Lure Of The Basilisk is no exception. I especially enjoyed Garth's practical matter of fact take on everything, truly a convincing character. Shang, The Baron and even The King In Yellow are also fascinating, well drawn characters with complex motivations and realistic reactions. But oh, Garth's poor feet!

The other reviews give a description of the book, so I won't reiterate. I just wanted to point out that all of those other reviews seem to be based upon what I'm assuming was a different edition of this book? The copy that I bought from Amazon looked like the picture so I thought, "Great! The cover looks interesting."
I could not enjoy this book as much I would have because the typeface and the way the print was aligned were terrible! To be honest, the book looked like an amateur printing job slapped together with a cool cover. So if you're like me in that straining to read the word on the edge of the page frustrates you, I would try to find a different edition of this book....and the story is as good as the other reviewers state.

Pandemia is one of my favorite worlds. I read Dave Duncans A man Of his word series ten years ago, and I have owned a copy of it ever since. Whenever I feel the need to return to my Favorite fantasy series of all time, I just start with Magic casement and keep on reading. I am now just finishing reading "A living God" (the last book in his pandemia series) for the sixth time and the entire series just keeps on getting better. Read all eight books set in pandemia and just hope that Mr. Duncan writes another dozen. Emperor and clown may be my favorite of all of the pandemia books.

This is my favorite book of my favorite series: it has romance, fighting, magic, originality like few books I've ever read, and page-turning adventure. The stableboy Rap has come a long way to finally reach his princess, and just when you think you know what's going to happen, something changes. By far, this book beats the rest of the hum-dee-dum Tolkien take-offs. Dave Duncan has created an entirely new world, with a bit of a strange sense of humor, and the sort of ironic quirks that life always takes seemingly just to confuse you. This is an absolute must-read for all lovers of humorous fantasy; well-spoken and thoroughly enjoyable!

I have read hundreds of fantasy books and this remains my my uncontested favorite series ever. Reading this book is somewhat like watching the felowship of the ring with out knowing that it is going to end in the middle. Your flying through the pages to see what will happen to Rap and Inos when all of a sudden it's over without realizing it you have finished the book. Now you must hunt through the used book stores to find the next one (before amazon[.com]) stopping at nothing to find what will happen to our stable boy and his queen, will Raps magic progress further or get him killed buy someone trying to torture his secret out of him.........

Fantasy often seems to have cliche after cliche...evil wizard, group of good guys which include a half-elf, a surly dwarf, and a warrior, who defeat wizard, etc etc. Duncan has created a truly unique group of characters, and a moving and wonderful adventure. The world and the complex magic system he creates is wonderful and imaginative. This is the best series I have ever read, and I have read a lot of fantasy. I have over 100 fantasy novels in my collection alone! Thanks to Mr. Duncan for giving us all these fabulous books!

This wonderful book, the series it begins, and the second series which follows it, are great books to read if you just want to be swept up in a great story about boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl (in cards and spades!) boy-gets-girl. If you like your fantasy built on an original, well-thought-out and carried to its logical conclusion worldview and concept of magic, the set works on that level. If you love great characters lovingly written and described, who you will remember fondly (or not), this is definitely for you. Little Chicken, Sorcerer Ishist, Gathmor, Jalon and the boys - these aren't even the main characters! Also my personal favorite, Princess Kadolan - who starts out as almost a caricature of dotty older princess gone a bit to seed, but becomes so much more. (!) Finally, if you like your fantasy to have a conscience, to speak to issues of classism, racism and sexism, and have something to say about power and corruption, this book and its sequels are a must read!