Book cover of The Jewel in the Skull

Book description

“Those who dare swear by the Runestaff must then benefit or suffer from the consequences of the fixed pattern of destiny that they set in motion. Several such oaths have been sworn in the history of the Runestaff’s existence...”—The High History of the Runestaff Dorian Hawkmoon, late the Duke of…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Jewel in the Skull as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is a masterpiece of the New Wave fantasy novels of the 1960s and 1970s. The hero, Dorian Hawkmoon, is a nobleman in the far future where science has become so advanced it is indistinguishable from magic. Hawkmoon is forced to work for his enemies by a magical jewel they embed in his forehead. Hawkmoon’s world is Europe, but hardly recognisable, and a vast empire with impossible super-technology is conquering the whole continent. It’s a story of heroism vs magic in a war where the technological wonders feel alien and familiar all at once. The evil empire of Granbretan, where…

From Matt's list on fantastic heroes at war.

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Book cover of The Blade in the Angel's Shadow

The Blade in the Angel's Shadow by Andy Darby,

The Blade in the Angel's Shadow delivers a compelling fusion of dark magic, espionage, and philosophical tension between chaos and order.

A heretic swordswoman, cosmic entities using humans as pawns, Elizabethan occultism, time travel, and the apocalyptic ambitions of the Angels? It’s bold, unsettling, and fiercely imaginative.

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