Emperor and Clown

Dave Duncan

Apr 2014 · A Man of His Word Book 4 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

The saga of Inos and Rap comes to its thrilling conclusion in the final Man of His Word novel from “one of the leading masters of epic fantasy” (Publishers Weekly).
 
While Queen Inos and her new husband, the cursed Sultan Azak, head to the capital city to beg the emperor’s aid, Rap is imprisoned and tortured in the sultan’s dungeons. But a third magic word gives him power beyond his wildest dreams, allowing him to escape. Struggling with his newfound abilities—and his feelings for Inos—he follows after her.
 
With his faithful companions, Rap will find himself battling old enemies, fulfilling prophecies, and navigating the empire’s politics, forging his own destiny as one of the most feared men in the kingdom.
 
“If it’s traditional fantasy adventure with a bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink you’re after, Dave Duncan is your go-to guy. ”—SFReviews.net

“Duncan takes all the trusted fantasy ingredients, meticulously prepares them and brings them together with skill and relish. . . . The series bears resemblance to Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy.” —Fantasy Book Review

“Duncan’s unique concept of goblins, fauns, and imps adds a new twist to this imaginative fantasy adventure. Recommended.” —Library Journal

Ratings and reviews

Excellent way to sum up the series, although it does bother me a little bit how roundabout it was, this story could easily have been told in one book because none of the events are really related to the ending. It does allow you to get aquainted with the characters though so I suppose that makes it worth it.

Great fantasy well written funny sad exciting

About the author

Dave Duncan (1933–2018) was born in Scotland, and received his diploma from Dundee High School and got his college education at the University of Saint Andrews. He moved to Canada in 1955, where he lived with his wife. Duncan spent thirty years as a petroleum geologist. He has had dozens of fantasy and science fiction novels published, among them A Rose-Red City, Magic Casement, and The Reaver Road, as well as a highly praised historical novel, Daughter of Troy, published, for commercial reasons, under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin. He also published the Longdirk series of novels, Demon Sword, Demon Knight, and Demon Rider, under the name Ken Hood.
 
In the fall of 2007, Duncan’s 2006 novel, Children of Chaos, published by Tor Books, was nominated for both the Prix Aurora Award and the Endeavour Award. In May 2013, Duncan, a 1989 founding member of SFCanada, was honored by election as a lifetime member by his fellow writers, editors, and academics. He passed away in 2018. Visit https://www.daveduncanauthor.com/ for more information on the author.