Dave Duncan (1933–2018)
Author of The Gilded Chain
About the Author
Dave Duncan was born in Scotland in 1933. He graduated from the University of St. Andrews in 1955 and moved to Canada. He worked for 31 years as a geologist in the petroleum industry. He started writing novels in 1984 and became a full-time author in 1986. He has written over 40 novels including show more the series The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word, A Handful of Men, The King's Blades, The Great Game, Years of Longdirk, King's Daggers, and Seventh Sword. He has also written under the names Sarah B. Franklin and Ken Hood. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Dave Duncan has also written under the names Ken Hood and Sarah B. Franklin.
(ger) Dave Duncan schrieb auch unter den Namen Ken Hood und Sarah B. Franklin.
Image credit: Dave Duncan by Five Rivers Publishing
Series
Works by Dave Duncan
Impossible Odds: A Chronicle of the King's Blades (Tale of the King's Blades) (2003) 444 copies, 7 reviews
One Velvet Glove: A Tale of the King's Blades (Tales of the King's Blades) (2018) 29 copies, 11 reviews
The Ethical Swordsman: A Tale of the King's Blades (Tales of the King's Blades) (2019) 21 copies, 2 reviews
Dar mądrości 2 copies
The Seventh Sword Trilogy: "The Reluctant Swordsman (Bk. 1)," "The Coming of Wisdom (Bk. 2)," "The Destiny of the Sword (Bk. 3)." (1988) 2 copies
Sous une autre lune 1 copy
Dave Duncan's Chronicle of the King's Blades (Paragon Lost, Impossible Odds, Jaguar Knights) (1990) — Author; Author — 1 copy
Hunters’ Haunt 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Duncan, David John
- Other names
- Hood, Ken
Franklin, Sarah B. - Birthdate
- 1933-06-30
- Date of death
- 2018-10-29
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of St Andrews
High School of Dundee - Occupations
- geologist
science fiction writer - Organizations
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
SF Canada - Awards and honors
- Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
- Agent
- Richard Curtis
- Relationships
- Duncan, Janet (wife)
- Nationality
- UK (birth)
Canada (naturalized 1960) - Birthplace
- Newport-on-Tay, Scotland, UK
- Places of residence
- Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Scotland (birth)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Place of death
- Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Map Location
- Canada
- Disambiguation notice
- Dave Duncan has also written under the names Ken Hood and Sarah B. Franklin.
Members
Discussions
Pretty horny in Good Show Sir! — bad science fiction and fantasy covers (December 2025)
Rave of ecstasy! in Good Show Sir! — bad science fiction and fantasy covers (November 2025)
Reviews
{fourth of 11 in Ironhall Books/ first of 3 in Chronicles of the King's Blades; fantasy, sword and sorcery, adventure}(2002)
This is the first of the second trilogy of the Ironhall books, now taking place a generation or two later (so the 'Henry VIII' facsimile is no longer around). Most of the characters have changed but the famed Sir Durendal is now Grand Master of Ironhall. The story starts with Durendal offering a mission to a disgraced Blade and then we go back in time a couple of years show more to find out how Beau was disgraced and finally ends with him completing his mission to win back his blade, 'Just Desert'.
To remind you, Ironhall Blades are the best of the best. However, boys are not sent to Ironhall to become heroes but usually as a last resort. They train hard and become expert weapons masters - but of course each boy has their own speciality. At the end of their training the monarch comes to Ironhall (or occasionally a noble to whom the monarch has decided to give a Blade to) and runs each boy through the heart with their own customised sword and a spell which, rather than killing them, binds the new Blade to their master - or mistress (on rare occasions). Bound Blades will die before letting harm come to their master (though their loyalty doesn't blind them to that master's faults) and can go without sleep for days.
Beaumont (Beau) is acknowledged as one of the best Ironhall has had in a while and is dubbed 'the Paragon' because he's effortlessly the best at everything. So it is a bit of a surprise to Ironhall denizens when the king does not take him for himself but gives him and the next two Blades (Ironhall operates on a strict first-in-first-out basis) to a portly minister named Wassail. Durendal, however, suspects that there is a reason behind this and it turns out that Wassail is being sent on a long and diplomatically delicate (and therefore secret) mission where the Blades' skills will be needed and sorely tested.
Duncan gives us two points of view; the Chivians', who are going into Skyrria, and in the Skyrrian camp, Czarina Sophie. The Czarina and her sister Tasha, who is betrothed to the King of Chivial, live on a knife‘s edge. Czar Igor has a volatile personality (not to mention being paranoid) and could be this world's facsimile for Ivan the Terrible. He rules with an iron fist and uses magic to enforce his will with giant hounds. Sophie has her work cut out to keep him from flaring into violence - when he's around - and keeping her adult stepson, who is even more depraved than Igor, away from Tasha.
As always, I enjoyed the writing in this series. Puns are scattered around and Duncan pokes fun at, amongst other things, the beards on the Skyrrians.
There is lots of fun - and tension. There were points I almost couldn't bear to continue reading. I know from experience that Duncan can kill off his Blades if the situation calls for it (Ironhall graduates are not usually known for long lifespans) and with them going into a parallel Russia where a despot Czar rules and his son, who is even worse, is just waiting to take over ... I could sense desperate times ahead.
(March 2024)
4.5-5 stars show less
This is the first of the second trilogy of the Ironhall books, now taking place a generation or two later (so the 'Henry VIII' facsimile is no longer around). Most of the characters have changed but the famed Sir Durendal is now Grand Master of Ironhall. The story starts with Durendal offering a mission to a disgraced Blade and then we go back in time a couple of years show more to find out how Beau was disgraced and finally ends with him completing his mission to win back his blade, 'Just Desert'.
To remind you, Ironhall Blades are the best of the best. However, boys are not sent to Ironhall to become heroes but usually as a last resort. They train hard and become expert weapons masters - but of course each boy has their own speciality. At the end of their training the monarch comes to Ironhall (or occasionally a noble to whom the monarch has decided to give a Blade to) and runs each boy through the heart with their own customised sword and a spell which, rather than killing them, binds the new Blade to their master - or mistress (on rare occasions). Bound Blades will die before letting harm come to their master (though their loyalty doesn't blind them to that master's faults) and can go without sleep for days.
Beaumont (Beau) is acknowledged as one of the best Ironhall has had in a while and is dubbed 'the Paragon' because he's effortlessly the best at everything. So it is a bit of a surprise to Ironhall denizens when the king does not take him for himself but gives him and the next two Blades (Ironhall operates on a strict first-in-first-out basis) to a portly minister named Wassail. Durendal, however, suspects that there is a reason behind this and it turns out that Wassail is being sent on a long and diplomatically delicate (and therefore secret) mission where the Blades' skills will be needed and sorely tested.
Duncan gives us two points of view; the Chivians', who are going into Skyrria, and in the Skyrrian camp, Czarina Sophie. The Czarina and her sister Tasha, who is betrothed to the King of Chivial, live on a knife‘s edge. Czar Igor has a volatile personality (not to mention being paranoid) and could be this world's facsimile for Ivan the Terrible. He rules with an iron fist and uses magic to enforce his will with giant hounds. Sophie has her work cut out to keep him from flaring into violence - when he's around - and keeping her adult stepson, who is even more depraved than Igor, away from Tasha.
As always, I enjoyed the writing in this series. Puns are scattered around and Duncan pokes fun at, amongst other things, the beards on the Skyrrians.
The lead boat had gone on ahead to carry warning, so the reception party was waiting when Wassail stepped ashore around noon. Bands played hobnail Skyrrian music like cats quarreling in a thunderstorm, peacock Pursuivant preened amid an exaltation of Skyrrian heralds, and a dozen hairy grandees glittered welcome in the sunshine. Why would men deck themselves up in so much jewelry and gold brocade, and then hide behind such jungles? Even the liveried pike-bearing men-at-arms had whiskers down to their belts. Strike a spark and they would all go up like dry hay.Beaumont should be irritating but he's not; he's not arrogant though he is cocky but he does have a brain and cares for his charges and his friends.
...
The open carriage provided for His Excellency's triumphant entry into Kiensk resembled a converted hay wagon, but it was drawn by eight spectacular white horses. Wassail and three Best Beards climbed aboard.
There is lots of fun - and tension. There were points I almost couldn't bear to continue reading. I know from experience that Duncan can kill off his Blades if the situation calls for it (Ironhall graduates are not usually known for long lifespans) and with them going into a parallel Russia where a despot Czar rules and his son, who is even worse, is just waiting to take over ... I could sense desperate times ahead.
(March 2024)
4.5-5 stars show less
(Third of 3 : Tales of the King's Blades series, Sixth of 6 : Ironhall Books. Fantasy, adventure)
This is one of the Tale of the King's Blades series which Duncan says can be read in any order because it covers the same period of time from different perspectives. I think this is one series that I need to read consecutively or at least a lot closer together so I can compare (or even remember) the similarities and differences.
I took a detour (as I often do) and googled Henry VIII and his show more wives, since King Ambrose is very, very clearly based on him and then I started getting them confused. *sigh*, not to mention that my husband is binge watching old Game of Thrones episodes, which is too violent for me, but otherwise has a similar ambience
Each of the three books in the series focuses on a different key player in the lives of King Ambrose and his immediate successors with a constant theme being the King's (or Queen's) Blades; a group of swordsmen trained at Ironhall (sent there as intractable boys as a last resort by their desperate families), forged into the best bladesmen training can deliver and, finally, magically bound to their wards to serve them loyally (whatever they think of them personally) without the need for sleep until death or official release from their bond. The first book (in the order that I read them) was about the adventures of Durendal, one of the greatest of the Blades who later became Ambrose's chancellor and begins with the king earlier in his life. The second followed the life of Raider, another Blade, which gave a different perspective on the reign of Ambrose at a later point in the king's life. I think it makes sense to read Sky of Swords last (whatever Duncan suggests) because it sort of ties up the events in the first two books and, though they parallel each other in the timeline at points, there is a chronological order.
This story is told from the point of view of Princess Malinda, the king's daughter and (presumably) second in line to the throne and opens with her on trial for high treason, having won and then lost the throne. We follow her through the days of her trial and see her life, from the age of nine, in flashback as she remembers the events behind the accusations levelled at her, though she is not allowed to give voice to her answers.
An interesting exercise if you ever wondered what life might have been like for the princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Malinda knows her duty is to marry for political alliance (though she makes it absolutely clear it's under protest) and she suffers a series of stepmothers inHenry's er, Ambrose's quest for a male heir. At some point towards the end of Ambrose's life, her life - both political and actual - becomes precarious. As a tale of the King's Blades, there is, of course, lots of action and derring-do to keep things going. Sky of Swords, the title of the book, refers to the ceiling of the hall at Ironhall where the swords of all the Blades who died defending their wards are hung from chains.
4.5**** show less
This is one of the Tale of the King's Blades series which Duncan says can be read in any order because it covers the same period of time from different perspectives. I think this is one series that I need to read consecutively or at least a lot closer together so I can compare (or even remember) the similarities and differences.
I took a detour (as I often do) and googled Henry VIII and his show more wives, since King Ambrose is very, very clearly based on him and then I started getting them confused. *sigh*, not to mention that my husband is binge watching old Game of Thrones episodes, which is too violent for me, but otherwise has a similar ambience
Each of the three books in the series focuses on a different key player in the lives of King Ambrose and his immediate successors with a constant theme being the King's (or Queen's) Blades; a group of swordsmen trained at Ironhall (sent there as intractable boys as a last resort by their desperate families), forged into the best bladesmen training can deliver and, finally, magically bound to their wards to serve them loyally (whatever they think of them personally) without the need for sleep until death or official release from their bond. The first book (in the order that I read them) was about the adventures of Durendal, one of the greatest of the Blades who later became Ambrose's chancellor and begins with the king earlier in his life. The second followed the life of Raider, another Blade, which gave a different perspective on the reign of Ambrose at a later point in the king's life. I think it makes sense to read Sky of Swords last (whatever Duncan suggests) because it sort of ties up the events in the first two books and, though they parallel each other in the timeline at points, there is a chronological order.
This story is told from the point of view of Princess Malinda, the king's daughter and (presumably) second in line to the throne and opens with her on trial for high treason, having won and then lost the throne. We follow her through the days of her trial and see her life, from the age of nine, in flashback as she remembers the events behind the accusations levelled at her, though she is not allowed to give voice to her answers.
An interesting exercise if you ever wondered what life might have been like for the princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Malinda knows her duty is to marry for political alliance (though she makes it absolutely clear it's under protest) and she suffers a series of stepmothers in
4.5**** show less
An enjoyable romp, part of the wider King's Blades series. Following on from a brief vignette in Lord of the Fire Lands, we find out the story of what happened to Sir Spender and his comrades, and the final outcome of the story some 20 years after.
The King's Blades are a Musketeer-like Royal guard force transplanted to a magical version of Tudor England; King Ambrose is basically Henry VIII. Trained as master swordsmen, the young men are mostly magically bound to protect the king, but show more occasionally are bound to royal favourites. Sir Spender was bound to one such, Lord Bannerville, who was to be sent as an ambassador to the court of Fitain. The mission went disastrously wrong, Sir Spender barely escaping with his charge back home, in the process loosing a fortune which was to be used to further the mission. King Ambrose was severely displeased and bankrupted Lord Bannerville to repay the monies.
The story opens with 3 King's Blades being released from their binding; at liberty they chose to accompany Sir Rhys who is to visit his family for the first time in years. Sir Rhys turns out to be the son of Sir Spender; Lord Bannerville has recently died, and left nothing but debts. Sir Spender inherits a box which the creditors agree is valueless and allow him to take it away. This turns out to contain a single velvet glove parti-coloured in black and gold. This revives old memories of the mission to Fitain, and the Marquesa Deseridata whose colours were black and gold. Both colours contain enchantments - the black unpleasant, the gold an invitation. Choosing to honour the invitation in the gold side, Sir Spender and the other blades head for Fitain on a hunt for the lost treasure.
Well-written and enjoyable, this stand-alone story in the King's Blades series is probably closer in tone to the original series rather than the later YA stories.
Recommended. show less
The King's Blades are a Musketeer-like Royal guard force transplanted to a magical version of Tudor England; King Ambrose is basically Henry VIII. Trained as master swordsmen, the young men are mostly magically bound to protect the king, but show more occasionally are bound to royal favourites. Sir Spender was bound to one such, Lord Bannerville, who was to be sent as an ambassador to the court of Fitain. The mission went disastrously wrong, Sir Spender barely escaping with his charge back home, in the process loosing a fortune which was to be used to further the mission. King Ambrose was severely displeased and bankrupted Lord Bannerville to repay the monies.
The story opens with 3 King's Blades being released from their binding; at liberty they chose to accompany Sir Rhys who is to visit his family for the first time in years. Sir Rhys turns out to be the son of Sir Spender; Lord Bannerville has recently died, and left nothing but debts. Sir Spender inherits a box which the creditors agree is valueless and allow him to take it away. This turns out to contain a single velvet glove parti-coloured in black and gold. This revives old memories of the mission to Fitain, and the Marquesa Deseridata whose colours were black and gold. Both colours contain enchantments - the black unpleasant, the gold an invitation. Choosing to honour the invitation in the gold side, Sir Spender and the other blades head for Fitain on a hunt for the lost treasure.
Well-written and enjoyable, this stand-alone story in the King's Blades series is probably closer in tone to the original series rather than the later YA stories.
Recommended. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Well this book was a surprise to me -- I like medieval fiction, I like mysteries, I like magic, so you'd think I'd be all over it, but that combination is so rarely done well, and so rarely believable. This book is A on all counts. Believable reconstruction of medieval life, of the tensions between the Normans and the British peasantry, of the mistrust of people with physical impairments, of the time period all across the board. Duncan has also created a believable magical system within that show more framework (be still my heart) and a compelling main character with a reasonable sleuthing method to boot. I will be watching this series with bated breath, eager for as much as he cares to write.
Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss. show less
Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 92
- Also by
- 5
- Members
- 14,759
- Popularity
- #1,560
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 309
- ISBNs
- 405
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