The Living God

A Handful of Men #4

by Dave Duncan

All Rapped up…

The sorcerer Zinixo had declared himself the Almighty, and none could doubt that the end of the era was at hand. Not for a thousand years had the world known upheaval on such a scale. Not since the War of the Five Warlocks had disaster and destruction wielded so free a hand across Pandemia. Goblin hordes rampaged in the heart of the Impire. Dragons took to wing, incinerating entire legions in the space of a heartbeat. The slave-sorcerers of the Covin practiced whatever barbarities Zinixo required—and the chorus swelled with each victory: “Almighty!”

Soon would come midsummer, and the Nordland Moot, and the smell of blood upon the air. Soon the mad dwarf-sorcerer would truly reign supreme.

Stableboy, sorcerer, king, and now rebel: as leader of the insurgency, Rap of Krasnegar faced almost certain defeat. But with typical faun stubbornness, Rap continued his near-hopeless struggle. Against all odds, he fought his way from land to land, searching out and recruiting those few magic-users the Covin had not yet perverted. He told them to await his call: Soon the time would come, and Rap would wield his force against Zinixo in one single, killing blow.

It wasn’t much of a plan.

But there wasn’t time for more than one last strike for freedom…

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Epic, High Fantasy

385 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Originally from Scotland, Dave Duncan lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds were more satisfying than the real one, he published more than 60 novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical.

He wrote at times under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?")

His most successful works were fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and seven books about The King’s Blades. His books have been translated into 15 languages, and of late have been appearing in audiobook format as well.

He and Janet were married in 1959. He is survived by her, one son and two daughters, as well as four grandchildren.

He was both a founding and honorary lifetime member of SFCanada, and a member of the CSFFA Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the journey is near! and the closer we get to the final confrontation between a handful of rebels and the evil mastermind that threatens to enslave the whole world of Pandemia, the more this fantasy epic series resembles classics like "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars". But it's OK, because by this time most readers are probably fully implicated in the fate of their favorite character, either the older generation that has already fought one war to save the continent, or by the younger kids who may have nothing left to inherit.

The odds of prevailing against the paranoid dwarf sorcerer Zinixo have been slim right from the start, but over the previous three books, they have become close to impossible. Some of the rebels are even starting to argue that it's better to accept the chains than to die for a foolish cause like free-will. Others are resigned and want only to die in battle in an honorable manner. The few who still believe in an improbable victory are slowly converging on the mysterious land of the pixies, Thume. For almost one thousand years, the pixies have been believed to be extinct, the stuff of legends, destroyed in the last armaggedon between the five warlocks controlling magic in Pandemia. Yet, behind powerful magical shields, these reclusive and solitary people are following their own (isolationist) path to control of Pandemian magical forces. The only chance Rap and his friends have to defeat Zinixo might rest on the slim shoulders of a young pixie girl named Thaile.

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I don't have any special quotes or major themes bookmarked: I was too busy following the rush to destruction and hoping terrible prophecies about death and defeat would not apply to any of my favorite characters (most of them). The plot may not be the most original in speculative fiction, but Dave Duncan is clearly in control of the numerous pawns he has scattered across the continent of Pandemia, and he is a true master at capturing their passions and their moments of doubt, their struggles with ethical dillemas and, surprisingly, their flashes of laughter on the way to the gallows. Sir Acopulo never reaches his destination in Zark, being constantly marooned or delayed in his journey, the last stop in the clutches of some very persuasive and lonely nuns

The final battle is as short and as intense as it was predicted a couple of books back : with earth shattering forces unleashed by powerful warlocks, there is little for the conventional armies and generals to do but perish in an instant. The battle is spectacular though, and the resolution , while not entirely unexpected, is appropriate to the world of Pandemia and to the magical system created by Duncan in this eight book epic (counting in the original "Man of His Word" series). I am not very good with endings, I prefer the start of the journey to the destination, yet my recommendation is to consider the whole eight books sequence as one single story and enjoy the ride.

For my next foray into the worlds of Dave Duncan I plan to check out his sword & sorcery offer inspired by Venice.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Trouble should become easier to handle as we are older, but by then we know that the world is not cruel, only indifferent, and that hurts even more.” “Can any of us ever understand the sorrows of another?” “That is what love is for.”

Concludes an enjoyable four-part fantasy set in a Roman Empire analog universe with Middle Earth races. Magic. Dragons. Existential threats. Fractured, competing tales of apparently disparate quests coalesce. A more personal and less violent take on epic fantasy. Bad things happen offstage. Mostly. Satisfying conclusion to series.

“You are a site for psoriasis!”

Dickensian labyrinth of plot lines among a dozen major and minor characters. Personal and cultural crises abound. Misinterpreted intentions and crossed purposes galore. Humor and romance lightens the pending doom. Several socio-religious concepts conceived in first Pandemia series (A Man of His Word) yield key elements of climax.

“This is not easy for a jotunn, you know! If I lose my temper, I may start using really vulgar language.”

This is not a five-star book, but I rated it so, as the Academy held their awards for The Lord of the Rings until after the last movie, to recognize the worth of the entire eight-book series—A Man of Hid Word and A Handful of Men. (Best read in order) The corpus entertains, challenges, and uplifts. There is death, defeat, and pessimism on the way to victory, life, and renewal. Duncan credits his readers with intelligence and taste. And delivers.

[Redacted] was still only a boy, but he had fought with sorcerers, sailed with raiders, and proved himself a hero in public — and that was just this morning.

[Kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, there are actually probably a lot of problems with this series. Like for example the stories of Gath and Ylo - Ylo's in particular- end up feeling rather anticlimactic - what Gath does is somewhat but not very important and what Ylo does. . . well. . . I mean, we're all happy that Eshiala survives! I mean I understand that to some degree Gath's role is to serve as a red herring for Kadie (it certainly worked that way for me the first time I read the series, and at least one line implies it worked that way for Rap as well), but still. And given that Kadie and Thaïle's relationship is in fact incredibly important, more could really have been done to make it work.

But it is still awfully amazing and I don't know what to say.

-There is an entire chapter told from the point of view of the sequential gang. Thinal's secret tragic backstory that is even more tragic than the tragic backstory we already knew is revealed. I empathize with Jalon like you don't know how. Sagorn is. . . Sagorn. Andor is a right bastard but that's okay. Also, the whole fucking chapter is actually about Lith'Rian. This chapter was written personally for me. For me.

-There's a chapter from Azak's point of view too which would be cooler if Azak didn't degenerate into a horrible and completely unsympathetic character by the end of it - I liked his complexity but man, his end is awful.

-I hate the fact that I don't know where my copy of The Stricken Field is because I wanted to read about Olybino's heroic sacrifice. That is like the opposite of Azak where this pretty despicable character sort of redeems himself in the end. But alas, I couldn't. I enjoyed reading about the positive effects of what he did, though.

-Honestly, Umpily's heroic moment is pretty awesome, too. I like to believe the world would have been saved anyway, but that is a good payoff for this middle aged socialite's story.

-Maybe as an asexual person I shouldn't enjoy Acopulo's story so much either. . . but I kind of love the irony of it.

-Yeah, yeah, there are different kinds of love. But come on, we all know that this is totally a series about how an adolescent girl with PTSD and a lesbian crush saves the world. Because I really like that.

-God only knows why I love Lith'Rian so much because my copy of Perilous Seas is also mysteriously missing (I love it when he's in disguise and wailing that Rap's cause is hopeless and that's what makes it so good). But I am so proud that he is the only warden to make it through all eight books on Pandemia intact. Good going, hot elf! Also I love him serving as secretary at the end and then going, oh, yeah, all the dragons are coming back, too bad. I like to think that he is clever enough to have been perfectly fine even after the reform of sorcery, even if he didn't like it.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely enjoyable series

A follow up series to a throughly enjoyable series.
Full of characters you hate to say goodbye to, I was thrilled to find this second series.
I especially like how the author dealt with sensitive or gruesome topics (ie: intimate encounters, realities of war, abduction, torture). He didn't pretend like they didn't happen or have real and lasting impact on the characters (ie: Disney fairytale) but neither did he go into fulsome details (ie Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw, or 50 Shades of Gray).
I especially appreciated this bc it allows this book to be enjoyed by a broad age range. I don't need to hesitate to recommend it to young and old alike.

[Sean Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They said they would rather die where they stood than accept their lives at the cost of their principles. I cursed them for a gang of illogical nitwits. I derided their infantile elvish fancies.
And now I understand. Now I sympathize."

And amazingly, an ending that fits just as neatly and smoothly as with the first series set in this universe. It was predictable in outline, but in a good, fuzzy-feeling sort of a way that makes you glad rather than with an air of inevitability which sometimes permeates such work.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As expected, everything comes together in this final book, and just when everything seems utterly lost, the tables are turned and the heroes prevail. The manner in which this was going to happen had been glaringly obvious for the better part of the past two books, but I don't think this detracted from the enjoyment of the book.
This is pure fantasy escapism, and the entire series thrives on what Duncan does best (and, in my opinion, better than anyone else) - the wonderfully original system of magic.

Pandemia is definitely a world I'd love to visit!

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully constructed finale. It brings together things we've learned throughout the past seven books in this world, in a way that is totally surprising but totally convincing.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Duncan has written two series with many of the same characters. The first series is A Man of His Word and the second is A Handful of Men. Because the two series are contiguous and share the same characters I am just going to review them together.

The first book, Magic Casement, from the first series was one that I liked and would have rated a 4 probably. I thought of it as a well-written YA fiction. The main characters in the book are teenagers and Duncan does, in my opinion, a very good job of expressing through the characters the feelings and viewpoint of teenagers even today. So I continued to read the series and Duncan did a poorer job of expressing the characters as they got older. But the progression of their growth and their stories was pretty well done and overall I would have given the series a 3.5.

While the first series was adventurous it was also more character-driven. The second series, which takes place 15 years after the first, is less character-driven and more political. Meaning political in terms of the disputes between the different regions and races. It could have been an excellent series based on that but it really wasn't.

The series is made up of all the mythical creatures devised by our world. Well, probably not all of them but a great deal. There are goblins and Jinn and pixies and fauns and trolls and so many more, including some I had never heard of. In addition, there are different locales inhabited by the different races. For example, the Jinnq live in awhat would be the Middle East today. (If you like world building, you probably wouldn't like that. It helped me to place some of the races and locales.) For me, given all the races, and their various characteristics, and their various locales, I found it exceedingly confusing. I don't know if that's because I needed a scorecard or if it was because the author made them sort of a muddle or whether I'm just not too bright, but I had trouble keeping track of all the players. And I should say, that there were a lot more players in this series than there were in the first series. And, in the first, the characters stayed together most of the time. They might have passed through a number of different locales but they did it together. In this series the characters were in pretty much all the locales but they went separately. So the stories would jump around between characters and locales. And sometimes a couple characters would come together and then they would separate, later coming together with different characters.

Finally, the climax and finale are a total mishmash. Seems that Duncan wanted to tie everything together in a pretty little bow in a very big hurry. As a result, the bow was squished and untied in places and just ugly. So if I were rating just the second series, I would give it a 2.5 and that might be generous.

In summary, I had to give the two series an overall 3. I really couldn't give it less since I read all 8 books. But if I had to do it over again, I would read the first series but not the second.

[Scott Pare · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was absolutely bored stiff with this series. 4 books was WAY too long to tell the story. Way too much going there and here and nothing being done.

Characters has very very limited development.

The world had very limited development.

The ending to this was horrible. One of the worst I've come across in a fantasy series.

If I read this series before the Seventh Sword, one of my favorite series of all time, I would never have gone near a Dave Duncan book again.

I highly suggest to people to pass on this. It was a waste of time.

[BobA707 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Really good series, really enjoyed this. Really engaging characters a huge premise with lots of complexities a great plot and a very readable writing style. Recommended

Plotline: Multiple threads winding around each other and finally joining

Premise: Complex and huge, interesting magic, love it

Writing: great characters simple, readable

Ending: Doom and gloom almost to the end ... the end is a bit corny, but works.

Pace: Never a dull moment!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

[Danée · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good ending!

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

See review of the Cutting Edge

[erin thomassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read both series' multiple times and it's like going home. The characters are all really likable and relatable. I love that is not just male protagonists and perspectives throughout. There isn't a lot of gore and graphic sex like soo many fantasy stories these days. I can't tell you how many times I laughed and cried while reading all of these books. I only wish I could find more like them. I tried to read the first seventh sword book but couldn't get past the solitary male perspective. Rap is one of my favorite characters of all time. Love these books.

[Sbuchler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: High Fantasy

This is the final book in the _Handful of Men_ series. It was by far the fastest paced book in the series, quite up there with the best of the previous series. However, I did not give it 5 stars 'cause Duncan _didn't_ resolve the plot with out a literal deux ex machina. I think one of the things that dragged in this series was that the Quest our heroes were on was always impossible - they never had a chance, and they all knew it through the entire series. Even in this book, they didn't have a chance to win, and did loose, except for a God stepping in. I think this is the closest Duncan has come to a happily-ever-after ending in any of his books that I've read, and of course, I'm still not happy :-S I guess there's no pleasing me.

BTW, this novel has some serious ick in it - I think Duncan handles the rape of one of the heroines very well, and it's not gratuitously detailed, but I found it hard to read. FYI.

[Aditya / · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Dave Duncan and of rap. However, part of what I like about his characters are their high sense of loyalty and friendliness . In this book, they fell short of what I expected, too often. You can't ask somebody for help and then abandon them, which was done in this book. Additionally, some of the characters became cold to other characters for reasons that I considered unjustified. Also, something that really irked me is that there was a certain clear source of power available to the protagonists that was never used. I considered allowing so much suffering to occur without doing that to be disgusting

[Edwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beste boek van de serie. Zou graag gezien hebben dat er een betere ontwikkeling van de personages Thail en Zinixos was. Misschien een beter motief voor Zinixo.
Het leek als of er nog veel losse eindjes waren aan het einde van het boek. De uiteindelijke slag in de 'Rotonde' was vrij snel voorbij, en eigenlijk een beetje een anti-climax, behalve het feit dat Prins Gath bijna gedood werd onder een zware troon.

De oorspronkelijke serie bestaat uit 4 delen, maar in het Nederlands zijn er maar 3 delen.

[Cal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, solid finish to an 8 book adventure in the world of Pandemia. The emotional growth of Shandie over the last few books was well done. The goblins were depicted as one-dimensional villains. The 5 person bundle of Sagorn, Andor, Thinal, Jalon, and Darad was one of the better creations by the author. Best scene: Sir Acopulo rescued from the sea by the Sisters of the Refuge of Constant Service.

An excellent series. Should rank among the best but rarely shows up on "THE BEST OF" lists.

[Merri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book of the series. Would have liked to have seen better development of Thaile and Zinixos characters. Maybe a better motive for Zinixo. Many of the characters were flat and lacked background. The addition of Holi and the younger sister was irrelevant. Seemed like there was a lot of loose ends. Overall it had an interesting story.

[Stephen Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

One might complain about the deus ex machina ending, except that it's clearly indicated in the title and was set up in the previous series. Besides, there's something amusing about the lines: "There's no God of Rescues." "There is now!." Very enjoyable conclusion to the series.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically, this series gave me all the feels. I laughed, I cried, I threw my Kindle across the room. I mostly spent a lot of time worrying about my favorite characters, but I loved how Duncan wrapped up this epic adventure. Well worth the read.

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish

[Diana the Rarely Duplicated · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those lovers of fantasy who enjoy a well-crafted story line with interesting characters should read this entire series.

Author Dave Duncan invented a creative world The plot is quite clever.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like other books in series, could use better maps. Great finale, though painful and ugly and bittersweet. Definitely some neat and memorable twists to end the series.

[Steve Markham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book for the way it all comes to a close. Worth a read and finishes the series wonderfully!

[Randy Hale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first series (A Man of His Word) immensely. This series was a bit depressing though.

[Gerdy Heek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. First book I read so missed some context. lot of characters, so it took me some time to get into it. But surprising. What I liked best was the humanity of the sorcerers. nice.

[Ron Judenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

read

[BRT · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rebellion seems beyond doomed until a miracle, of sorts, creates a new millennium. As always, Dave Duncan's characters are so wonderfully real that you miss them when they're gone, even if it's just because the series ended. They're so real, in fact, that it's not hard to believe that they are still out there somewhere.