Touched by the Gods
-
-
4.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
The book Science Fiction Chronicle named one of the two best fantasy novels of 1997 is finally available in e-book form!
All the lands beneath the Hundred Moons have been at peace for two hundred years under the benign rule of the Domdur Empire. During the long centuries when the gods guided the Empire's expansion, in each lifetime a single individual was chosen to receive certain divine gifts and lead the Domdur in battle; now that the world is at peace, the champions are no longer needed, and the last two have lived out their lives in peaceful anonymity.
Malladd, son of Hmar, a village smith, expects to do the same. He considers the gods' choice of him to be not a blessing but a nuisance.
When the oracles fall silent and the gods withdraw their guidance, the Domdur are not unduly concerned; their mastery of the world is complete, and they have no more need of divine meddling.
But then the heir to one of the warlords who fought the Domdur stumbles upon dark magic that may give him the power to avenge his ancestor's defeat and overthrow the Empire. That this may cast the world into chaos does not trouble him; he cares about nothing but vengeance upon his ancient foes.
When this dark wizard raises an army of the undead to march on the Domdur capital, will Malledd give up his anonymity to battle this threat?
And without any oracles to confirm his claim, will anyone even recognize him as the divine champion?
Can it be that the gods have forsaken the Domdur, and that the rebel wizard is the new object of divine favor?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a land of a hundred moons, a priest delivers a letter to a skeptical small-town blacksmith declaring his newborn, Malledd, to be the future champion of the Domdur Empire. Growing up apprenticed to his father, Malledd is nagged by his celebrity. Convinced at last of the possible truth of the letter, he leaves wife and child to fight an evil magician who threatens to destroy the empire with troops of the living dead. This story unfolds in 64 short chapters (plus a prologue and epilogue) and through many points of view, expertly articulated. The brooding Rebiri Nazakii, rebel magician, is captivating in his lust for revenge as he consorts with the dark forces. Pretenders to the role of champion abound while Malledd, the true chosen, does his work, yielding the glory to others. The most interesting character, and the only one who undergoes any real development, is the pretender Lord Duzon, a social climber who turns out to have some mettle after all. The pacing is excellent, the epic proportions and strangeness fascinate, but there is some looseness in the plot mechanics. Nothing in the human situation or in the characters themselves is seen to bring about the particular conclusion; rather, all is answered and determined by struggles in a realm with which we have been only peripherally acquainted: that of the gods, whose tokens the human actors are shown to have been. This novel is great fun, with intrigue, adventure, magic and horror, for those who don't mind a story that creates its characters, instead of the other way around.
