Children of Chaos

Starred review from April 17, 2006
Duncan's storytelling has never been better in this superb fantasy, the first of two books set on a dodecahedral world. Fifteen years after the doge of the walled city of Celebre handed over his four children as hostages to the invading Vigaelians besieging Celebre, the siblings have grown up separately as captives in the land of Vigaelia. One boy, Benard, has become a stonemason of amazing, god-given talent in the city of Kosord. Another boy, Orlando, has become an initiate in the cult of Weru, the god of storm and battle. Frena, who was a babe in arms 15 years earlier, has no memory of the family she was wrenched from, and the revelation of her past history completely changes her life. As for the fourth child, Dantio, he supposedly died early on. How the children of Celebre reunite makes for a captivating, adventure-filled story. Born in Scotland, Duncan (The Jaguar Knights
) now lives in Canada.

June 15, 2006
The Bloodlord of the Hrag dynasty of Vigaelia has conquered its rival realm, Florengia, and taken the doge of Celebre's four children as hostages, disbursing them throughout the land. Fifteen years later, one of the hostages must return home to serve as a puppet ruler, while the other three are marked for death. The bittersweet reunion of the four Celebre children tests the results of their long years of captivity as they search within themselves for their former family ties. This latest novel by the author of the popular -King's Blades - novels unfolds in a 12-sided world suffering under the bloody reign of savage warlords. Duncan's ability to transform his unique premise into a story that transcends the novelty of its circumstances makes him one of the genre's standout authors. A good addition to most fantasy collections.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2006
The Vigaelian Werists, followers of the war god, wage a brutal expansionist war on the Florengian face of a dodecahedral world. Fifteen years ago, the doge of the Florengian city Celebre gave up his four children to the Werist bloodlord as hostages to save the rest of the population. Separated and raised among the Vigaelians, the four are at the center of a political maelstrom when their father becomes ill, and a puppet-successor must be chosen. The Werist Hrag dynasty is clearly struggling, their power slipping as they stretch their forces to maintain their hold on Florengia. There are plots against Horold's sister, Saltaja--rumored to be a follower of the goddess of death (whose name is not said) and the real power behind Werist expansion--that are finally gaining critical mass, and the heirs of Celebre are caught in those machinations. Webs of conspiracy and the complex relations of siblings re-meeting after 15 years add density to an entertaining big story that may reach a satisfying, probably bloody conclusion in the promised sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)