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Shards of Light
Fencing Reputation: A Sword and Sorcery Novel from the Lands of Hope
The Stealthic Feldspar hides behind a thousand masks, but just when his city needs him the most, he could lose himself in the most potent disguise he's ever tried: none.
In 2002 ADR, the jewel of the southern empire is Cryssigens where life is a constant carnival of display, while beneath the surface brews a world of intrigue and rebellion. Nobles, guilds and the House Cups scheme with and against each other even in the best of times. Since the recent civil war, the city and kingdom are stripped of their Overlord, and the parties dare all in a bid to succeed to the throne.
When the elven lords, preachers and merchants of Cryssigens need wrongs righted without clues, they look for the stealthic Feldspar to solve their problems. But the legend without a face is hard to find: and when Feldspar takes a commission from the most famous and beautiful priestess in the city, he finds problems of his own piling up. Feldspar's exploits not only take him to the ancient city below, he also must reinvent himself and is forced to choose between Hope and safety.
"Fencing Reputation" is the second story in the Shards of Light saga set in the Lands of Hope. It is preceded by "The Ring and the Flag" and followed by "Perilous Embraces," and "Shards of Light."
In 2002 ADR, the jewel of the southern empire is Cryssigens where life is a constant carnival of display, while beneath the surface brews a world of intrigue and rebellion. Nobles, guilds and the House Cups scheme with and against each other even in the best of times. Since the recent civil war, the city and kingdom are stripped of their Overlord, and the parties dare all in a bid to succeed to the throne.
When the elven lords, preachers and merchants of Cryssigens need wrongs righted without clues, they look for the stealthic Feldspar to solve their problems. But the legend without a face is hard to find: and when Feldspar takes a commission from the most famous and beautiful priestess in the city, he finds problems of his own piling up. Feldspar's exploits not only take him to the ancient city below, he also must reinvent himself and is forced to choose between Hope and safety.
"Fencing Reputation" is the second story in the Shards of Light saga set in the Lands of Hope. It is preceded by "The Ring and the Flag" and followed by "Perilous Embraces," and "Shards of Light."
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
About the author
William L. Hahn
34 books32 followersWill Hahn has been in love with heroic tales since age four, when his father read him the Lays of Ancient Rome and the Tales of King Arthur. He taught Ancient-Medieval History for years, but the line between this world and others has always been thin; the far reaches of fantasy, like the distant past, still bring him face to face with people like us, who have choices to make.
Will didn't always make the right choices when he was young. Any stick or vaguely-sticklike object became a sword in his hands, to the great dismay of his five sisters. Everyone survived, in part by virtue of a rule forbidding him from handling umbrellas, ski poles, curtain rods and more.
Will has written about the Lands of Hope since his college days (which by now are also part of ancient history). His first tales include "Three Minutes to Midnight" a slightly-dark sword and sorcery novelette, as well as “The Ring and the Flag” and "Fencing Reputation", the first stories in the ongoing Shards of Light series. The first novel-length tale of Hope, "The Plane of Dreams" was published in September 2012, and 2014 saw the serialized publication of the seminal epic "Judgement's Tale" beginning with "Games of Chance".
Will didn't always make the right choices when he was young. Any stick or vaguely-sticklike object became a sword in his hands, to the great dismay of his five sisters. Everyone survived, in part by virtue of a rule forbidding him from handling umbrellas, ski poles, curtain rods and more.
Will has written about the Lands of Hope since his college days (which by now are also part of ancient history). His first tales include "Three Minutes to Midnight" a slightly-dark sword and sorcery novelette, as well as “The Ring and the Flag” and "Fencing Reputation", the first stories in the ongoing Shards of Light series. The first novel-length tale of Hope, "The Plane of Dreams" was published in September 2012, and 2014 saw the serialized publication of the seminal epic "Judgement's Tale" beginning with "Games of Chance".
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 23, 2012
I loved this story. It's so funny to see the great stealthic hesitate at situations we maneuver daily without even being aware of. And the dangerous quest he's on doesn't make things easier for him. I love the way the story mixed humorous scenes with grim ones. This story left me wanting more.
January 2, 2019
When I first read this book I scored it 4 stars and now after having listened to the audio version I can’t figure out why it was so low. Feldspar is an intriguing character who caught my interest immediately. As I noted in my first review, he’s the right kind of crazy—talking to himself, arguing with himself, bargaining with himself as he seeks excitement and danger in the service of Hope. Feldspar is hired to find a priceless treasure that could play an important role in the political struggle roiling the city and watching him hunt for it is pure pleasure.
For me, however, the wild ride of Feldspar stalking the night was not the greatest joy of the novel. It was watching this friendless loner forge his first genuine human relationships and seeing how that affected his preconceptions of the world and his place in it.
This truly is a great book. There was no place in the story where I wanted to stop the recording and put it away for a while. The narration was superb with just enough sound effects to lift it above a simple book reading. If you like clever fantasy adventures with one of the best protagonists I’ve ever encountered, give Fencing Reputation a try.
For me, however, the wild ride of Feldspar stalking the night was not the greatest joy of the novel. It was watching this friendless loner forge his first genuine human relationships and seeing how that affected his preconceptions of the world and his place in it.
This truly is a great book. There was no place in the story where I wanted to stop the recording and put it away for a while. The narration was superb with just enough sound effects to lift it above a simple book reading. If you like clever fantasy adventures with one of the best protagonists I’ve ever encountered, give Fencing Reputation a try.
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July 14, 2014It's my book, so I'd rather not say.
September 12, 2017
I finished reading Fencing Reputation today and all I have to say is that Feldspar is just the right kind of crazy. Okay, I can't leave it at that. The tone of this novel is totally different from that of the first book in the series (The Ring and the Flag)—and it really fits a very different kind of hero. This is a fast-paced combination of action and mystery and the only real problem I have with it is I have to wait for the next two books to be published to find out what's going to happen. Well done indeed!
October 29, 2020
Lovely!
Such lovely writing! The characters are all so very much themselves, if you know what I mean. The story is exciting, the protagonist is very appealing and multifaceted. I can't wait to read the next book! You won't be sorry about the time you spent on this one.
Such lovely writing! The characters are all so very much themselves, if you know what I mean. The story is exciting, the protagonist is very appealing and multifaceted. I can't wait to read the next book! You won't be sorry about the time you spent on this one.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews