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This book, another book in the King's Blades series, is written by Dave Duncan. It is the "second" book written
in the series, however like them all it is also a stand alone novel. It is not as good as the Gilded Chain, however it is
the second best book (in my opinion) written by him, which is saying a lot. The main characters are Wasp and Radgar-Raider.
The story begins in Ironhall, to read a description of the procedures done there read my review of the Gilded Chain. All you
need know is that they train the best swordsmen in the world and magically bind them to absolute loyalty to
a ward, the person chosen by the king or the king of Chivial himself. In Ironhall, the news is sent out that the king is coming
to bind some of the Blades-to-be to him. Raider looks aghast as if his plans are ruined. When Grand Master talks to the
king about the next 4 candidates he says that the first two are fine Raider is kind but has a horrible temper and
when he was a Brat he waged a one man war against the entire school, breaking people's jaws and knocking out their teeth if
they were alone, they had to gang up on him to beat him. Wasp, Grand Master said was a boy, he hadn't grown up yet and had
probably lied when he said he was thirteen, 5 years earlier. When Wasp was the Brat, Raider had protected him and had saved
his life several months earlier when a fire had demolished the senior's dormitory. When the King had decided he would only
bind the first 3 he asked them if they were ready to serve (tradition). Bullwhip (Prime) and Mallory (Second) said yes but
Raider had said that he could not serve. The King then decided to ask Wasp who looked at Raider and said no he couldn't either.
The king inexplicably called Raider, "Cousin" and Radgar, the son of the king of Baelmark during the Baelish War. Raider
told the story of his Baelish ancestry and his father's murder, and the reason he couldn't be bound. He could not be
bound because when his father went to fight a fire drake (spirit of the volcano) they were both specially protected permanently
from fire, it still hurt but didn't burn them or kill them, so if the binding was performed he would die. The King was
then satisfied with the story and bound Wasp to Radgar-Raider. They were sent to the Bondhill Blade HQ however, Wasp murdered
their Blade guide and they escaped to Baelmark. I won't tell the story he told the king because it is half of the entire book.
This book takes place around the same time as the Gilded Chain, (SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING) starting after Durendal bound Wolfbiter.
It is fantastic, I may have had to go to Ottawa to get it but it was worth every hour. It is an extremely exciting book, with
swordplay, intrigue and plot twists at every turn. My favourite part is when they describe Raider at Ironhall and how when
Wolfbiter got him angry he got so mad he won every point at fencing against him and trounced him all around the fencing
arena, but afterwards he couldn't do it again. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of twelve. It was great.
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