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Loading... The Gilded Chain (1998)by Dave Duncan
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  cdaley | Nov 2, 2023 |   The worldbuilding is very interesting with magic that requires an octagon and chanting and other things. Although it's possible there are scrolls and perhaps quicker ways to cast certain spells, but that wasn't detailed in this book. Boys are accepted and trained in swordsmanship of varying kinds, along with hand-to-hand fighting. I assume they learn other things like how to read and write. They move up the ranks and when the king is ready, they are magically bound to him as his protector. Sometimes the king will grant one of his "Blades" to a court favorite. This makes for some interesting situations since the Blade must protect his ward at all costs, even if the ward is planning treason. It puts the main character, Durendal, into moral corundums. The story bounces back and forth in time, which some may find disconcerting. But it acts as a sort of post-shadowing. You know something is coming up eventually but you aren't sure how you will get there. I think this would be a great premise for a movie or TV show. And definitely would make a great plot of a roleplaying game like Dungeons & Dragons. I can't wait to read the next book. PS: Each of these 3 books can be read on their own, but apparently they are best when you read al three. Duncan has also written some other books that take place in this world as well. He is a hidden gem. (  ) jezebellydancer | Feb 1, 2022 |  )1  JanetNoRules | Sep 17, 2018 | Because the characters change names and titles through the book, the flash-forwards were a little confusing. Otherwise, the pacing was very good. Although this is the first of a trilogy, I understand you can read them in any order, as they happen more or less simultaneously. I have the next two books and look forward to more from this author. ( )1 mcfitz | Feb 22, 2018 |  ) BookstoogeLT | Dec 10, 2016 | no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesThe King's Blades (Tales of the King's Blades 1)
As unwanted and rebellious boys, they find refuge in Ironhall....Years later they emerge as the finest swordsmen in the realm--A magical ritual of a sword through the heart binds each to his ward--if not the king himself, then to whomever else the monarch designates--with absolute loyalty.And the greatest Blade of them all was--and is--Sir Durendal. But a lifelong dream of protecting his beloved liege from enemies, traitors, and monsters is dashed to bits when Durendal is bonded till death to an effete noble fop at his king's orders. Yet Destiny has many strange and inscrutable plans for the young knight--for a mission, a contest, and, perhaps, a treasure await him in a faraway land. But he soon finds himself enmeshed in treason and foul intrigues, compelled to betray the king he had hoped to serve. The Blades have ways to protect their own, but death and madness haunt the path to salvation--and few ever return unscathed. As unwanted and rebellious boys, they find refuge in Ironhall....Years later they emerge as the finest swordsmen in the realm--A magical ritual of a sword through the heart binds each to his ward--if not the king himself, then to whomever else the monarch designates--with absolute loyalty. And the greatest Blade of them all was--and is--Sir Durendal. But a lifelong dream of protcting his beloved liege from enemies, traitors, and monsters is dashed to bits when Durendal is bonded till death to an effete noble fop at his king's orders. Yet Destiny has many strange and inscrutable plans for the young knight--for a mission, a contest, and, perhaps, a treasure await him in a faraway land. But he soon finds himself enmeshed in treasonand foul intrigues, compelled to betray the king he had hoped to serve. The Blades have ways to protect their own, but death and madness haunt the path to salvation--and few ever return unscathed. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.8)
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I will be reading the next in the series. (