Farslayer's Story

From Publishers WeeklySaberhagen continues the saga of the 12 magical swords responsible for havoc in a distant time. The first three books of this series recounted the stories of the swords called Woundhealer, Sightblinder and Stonecutter. This volume is focused on Farslayer, which can kill anyone named by the person holding or throwing it. The feuding clans of Malolo and Senones use the weapon to destroy each other, leaving as survivors only youngsters bent on vengeance. Then come strangers hunting for the sword. One party consists of Chilperic and the demon Rabisu, sent by the Dark Master, the Ancient One, the wizard Wood; the others, on the side of light, are Zoltan and the Lady Yambu, from Tasavalta, home of the blades. Zoltan also seeks his love, Black Pearl, turned into a mermaid by a magician's curse. The battle between good and evil and the consequences of the blood feud pile up more bodies, leaving the land sorrier and poorer. In the midst of the bloodshed and death, Saberhagen's appealing characters soldier on. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalTwo rival families wage a war of attrition and vengeance for possession of "Farslayer," one of the 12 Lost Swords made by the gods and imbued with unearthly powers. A grim sense of fatality underlies the deceptive simplicity of the author's style in the latest volume of Saberhagen's popular fantasy series. Recommended.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.