MAN OF HIS WORD A princess and a stableboy? It sounds like the worst sort of hackneyed formula romance. Think again, for "A Man of His Word" may well be the most original fantasy you ever read. The magic is unique and applied in unexpected ways, some of which the late Lester del Rey admitted he had not met in fifty years as writer and editor. The world itself is unique - there are no humans in Pandemia, only imps, elves, gnomes, jotnar, and many more, all of whom you will recognize as "human". MAGIC CASEMENT In MAGIC CASEMENT the tale begins gently, even slowly, with Inosolan enjoying an idyllic childhood in her father's tiny backwater kingdom, too innocent even to understand that the feelings she shares with her friend Rap are more than friendship. Mystery, menace, and the gods appear in short order, and from then on the story grows in scope and power to straddle the world, and adversity thrusts rapid maturity on Rap and Inos. Populated by unforgettable characters - Aunt Kade, Little Chicken, Doctor Sagorn, and many more - Pandemia is an incredible world of credible people and infinite surprises.

Inos, daughter and only child of good King Holindarn of Krasnegar, is bored. She longs to go riding and hang out with the servants' children, but imperious old Aunt Kade is determined that the marriageable young princess cultivate a ladylike air and learn the social graces. To further that end, Inos is sent off to the estate of Kinvale, a combination finishing school and matchmaking bureau. There, she is swept off her feet by Sir Andor, a man of uncertain motives whose natural charms have been enhanced by a "word of power." Back in Krasnegar, Rap the stableboy, a childhood friend of Inos's, is exhibiting some magical prowess of his own, not to mention a rush of adolescence. The latter transforms his friendship into an undying love certain to be requited before the series--of which this is the first installment--is over. This is a childish romance wrapped in a thin veneer of fantasy which, despite the presence of sorcerers, imps, goblins and the like, fails to invest a weak story with the slightest bit of real magic. Duncan's works include A Rose-Red City.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A princess and a stableboy, each with the potential for magic, become embroiled in the politics of a kingdom's succession struggle in an intriguing fantasy by the au thor of The Seventh Sword (1988). Dun can's unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.