SOLVED. YA SciFi medieval Post-Apocalyptic hero's journey, rightful heir to the throne deposed by his half brother, fights for his place. Spoilers ahead. [s]

[Eric Matthew]

Spoilers ahead!









I read this ~35 years ago, not sure how old it was then. Details foggy, but the protagonist, of a high background, but maybe illegitimate, now downtrodden in some way, tries to make his way in a medieval type setting. At some point he's apprenticed to a blacksmith, or at least forges a sword, which while it's ugly, strikes true.

At some point he falls in with an outpost manned by people who have preserved some of the pre-fall technology. For whatever reason, they see something in our boy, and gift him with a case-hardened sword, which will not shatter against any sword of the age.

He ends up fighting his brother, a prince? Anyway, he is disarmed, and someone from the crowd throws him his case-hardened sword, which he'd apparently lost at some point. This sword allows him to prevail, and by the rules of this time and his birth, he now rules.

He ends up making alliance with a sultanate-type government, marrying the sultan's daughter in the process. He falls in love with her, but at some point she leaves him for another.

Then there is a scene, which is the one that haunts me. Upon finding this out, he storms into the audience chamber of his father-in-law (but given the culture, he is now almost his father.) In a rage, he relates her betrayal, and demands assistance, with the cri du coeur being, "You GAVE her to me!" (I didn't say the protagonist was a classic 'good' guy.)

His FIL agrees to his demands and pledges to attack the kingdom whose prince his daughter has taken up with. Interestingly, as our man leaves the chamber, the sultan's seneschal or whatever tells him that he was unable to warn him not to show the slightest weakness or he would've been killed on the spot.

Then there's the attack on the rival city, but everyone, man woman child, appears on the walls and sings. The abort is ordered, as no one can bring themselves to kill in such cold blood, but the protagonist vows to come back with airplanes, too high to hear song, from the outpost, now funded by the progressive sultan.

[Alan]

I'm not sure - I read them about 30 years ago - but The Prince in Waiting, which is part 1 of 'The Sword of the Spirits' trilogy by John Christopher, sounds like it fits some of this. Other parts sound like the remaining two books of the trilogy.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Eric Matthew, your topic header is a start but it needs to have plot details in it, since many books will have these themes.

[Eric Matthew]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Eric Matthew, your topic header is a start but it needs to have plot details in it, since many books will have these themes."

Thanks so much for the feedback, it's hard to know when you need detail and when to avoid spoilers. I put a plot point in at least, but I think it may be solved as the book above sounds familiar.

[Eric Matthew]

Alan wrote: "I'm not sure - I read them about 30 years ago - but The Prince in Waiting, which is part 1 of 'The Sword of the Spirits' trilogy by John Christopher, sounds like it f..."

Nailed it. Your memory is better than mine, clearly. OMG, I'd forgotten entirely these were by the same author as the Tripod series, John Christopher (Sam Youd.)

[Alan]

Awesome! Always good to get a successful find.