The Dark Hand of Magic
by BARBARA HAMBLY | Science Fiction & Fantasy | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: Global Overview for this book
ISBN: Global Overview for this book
2 journalers for this copy...
The mercenary Sun Wolf must use his immature magical powers to rescue his old army from an evil wizard's curse
For years, Sun Wolf and his gang of cutthroats were the most feared mercenaries in the land. When Sun Wolf learned he could work magic, he and his lieutenant--the fearsome Amazon Starhawk--left the gang behind so that he could learn to harness his new powers, and his men went their own way.
A year later, the old crew reaches out to Sun Wolf for his help. A string of rotten luck has befallen their latest campaign, and they have begun to suspect a curse. Their arrows break; their food rots; their tunnels cave in. They have heard rumors of Sun Wolf's magical abilities, and beg for his help. But when he goes after whatever is targeting his men, he finds himself up against the deadliest force he has ever encountered.
Amazon:
Barbara Hambley's Sun Wolf series is one of her best, and this book is a thrilling end to it. Sun Wolf returns to his old troop of mercenaries to help them against a dark wizard who is bent on their destruction. Again, a vividly written book where the characters are just like you and me. Multiple themes run through this book, some of the more prominent ones include things we all face as human beings. Sun wolf returns to the group of people (like family) he recruited, trained, and led for 20 years as a mercenary, but now he is a wizard, not a merc. Also, he is no longer the leader. Each character must deal with those changes in their own way, and Hambley is up to the task of showing us that the question, "Can we ever go home again?" is as real to mercenaries and wizards as it is to you and me. Hambley again displays her skill at both fantasy and mystery here, as Sun Wolf struggles to find out who put the curse on the troop, and why. The climatic finish is worthy of high fantasy, and will grip the reader to the thrilling end. The aftermath is bittersweet, and satisfying. I encourage fantasy fans everywhere to find the three books of this series and read them. You won't be disappointed, and I suspect they will find their way into your library to read over and over.
309 pages
For years, Sun Wolf and his gang of cutthroats were the most feared mercenaries in the land. When Sun Wolf learned he could work magic, he and his lieutenant--the fearsome Amazon Starhawk--left the gang behind so that he could learn to harness his new powers, and his men went their own way.
A year later, the old crew reaches out to Sun Wolf for his help. A string of rotten luck has befallen their latest campaign, and they have begun to suspect a curse. Their arrows break; their food rots; their tunnels cave in. They have heard rumors of Sun Wolf's magical abilities, and beg for his help. But when he goes after whatever is targeting his men, he finds himself up against the deadliest force he has ever encountered.
Amazon:
Barbara Hambley's Sun Wolf series is one of her best, and this book is a thrilling end to it. Sun Wolf returns to his old troop of mercenaries to help them against a dark wizard who is bent on their destruction. Again, a vividly written book where the characters are just like you and me. Multiple themes run through this book, some of the more prominent ones include things we all face as human beings. Sun wolf returns to the group of people (like family) he recruited, trained, and led for 20 years as a mercenary, but now he is a wizard, not a merc. Also, he is no longer the leader. Each character must deal with those changes in their own way, and Hambley is up to the task of showing us that the question, "Can we ever go home again?" is as real to mercenaries and wizards as it is to you and me. Hambley again displays her skill at both fantasy and mystery here, as Sun Wolf struggles to find out who put the curse on the troop, and why. The climatic finish is worthy of high fantasy, and will grip the reader to the thrilling end. The aftermath is bittersweet, and satisfying. I encourage fantasy fans everywhere to find the three books of this series and read them. You won't be disappointed, and I suspect they will find their way into your library to read over and over.
309 pages
I took the book to the meet-up in Ciao! Cafe in Helsinki.
Thanks for thinking about my project.
