The thrilling re-telling of Arthurian legend from master of science
fiction and fantasy David Drake continues! A young Champion must
rescue a friend and battle an enemy at the heart of a chaotic world.
The universe has shattered into chaos and monsters. Jon, the Leader, is
dedicating his life to reuniting the scattered hamlets into a
Commonwealth where all humans can live protected against the darkness
and the things that live in that darkness.
But no man can reshape the universe by himself. Jon has Makers to build
weapons and clerks to handle the business of government - but he also
needs Champions to face the powers of chaos which will not listen to any
argument but force.
Lord Pal of Beune is one of those Champions. He has fought monsters and
evil on behalf of Mankind, and he will fight them again. But now
Guntram, the man who transformed Pal from an ignorant rube into a
bulwark of the Commonwealth, has disappeared. Pal must locate his friend
and mentor - and then he must battle an entity which may be at the core
of the splintered universe!
Pal of Beune: A humane man in a universe full of inhumanity.
Pal of Beune: A strong man in a universe where some recognize only
strength.
Pal of Beune: A hero who will keep going until something stops him - and
who hasn't been stopped yet!
"I finished The Storm last night. I loved it. It was such a sweet
read. Pal is one of [Drake's] best people, humane and strong and
generous, and his voice carries the whole book." (Cecelia Holland,
author, The Sea Beggars)
"Counterbalancing the setting's strangeness, Pal himself is thoroughly
levelheaded and decent, the kind of hero readers will enjoy rooting for.
This is an enjoyable exploration of a pleasantly peculiar world."
(Publishers Weekly)
"...a wonderful cast of characters in a fabulous world of courtiers,
peasants, Beasts, and mysterious Envoys. Drake has imbued Arthurian
legend with a convincing SF spin." (Booklist)
