Six of swords
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Synopsis - Irissa was the last of the sorcerous Torlocs, untutored in magic and abandoned upon this decaying world by her people. Kendric was one of the Six of Swords, gifted with a legendary weapon to guard the Realms from harm. But now he was an outcast, and his death was sought without reason by the other Five. Sorceress and swordsman, they were thrown together, each filled with ancient prejudices against the other Five. Sorceress and swordsman, they were thrown together, each filled with ancient prejudices against the other. But only by combining her uncertain powers with his remaining skills could they survive. Survive they must, however. Rule was a world formed upon magic – but now magic was failing and there would soon be no place for it. And destiny in strange guise had chosen them to make one last stand against the dark forces that were waiting at the Gate of Valna, seeking to destroy their world.
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What is it they say? Never go back?
I read Six of Swords back when it was first published in the early 1980s. So this was a bit of a nostalgia trip. At the time I really enjoyed it. Rereading it as a much older reader exposed its flaws.
Set in the world of Rule, made up of Six Realms, the story follows Irissa, a young sorceress, who finds a wounded Wrathman, Kendric (each of the Six Realms has a Wrathman, huge swordsmen meant to keep order within this world), who she heals. But as she returns to her home she finds that her people, the Torlocs, are retreating from Rule into another world, essentially removing magic from the world.
So begins a quest to find another gate for Irissa to pass through and join her people. Accompanied by Kendric and a talking cat called Felabba (who seems to know more about the situation that anyone else), we get a tour of the six Realms, with our mismatched twosome bickering most of the way.
They encounter would be dictators, fading witches and ancient wizards before a climax on the floating island of Clymarind. It's all quite serviceable, well written, if a little ponderous and slow at times (the escape from the sorcerer Geronfry is interminable, and the final confrontation drags on too.)
So, a perfectly readable example 1980s fantasy, not bad but not great. Apparently there are several sequels but I honestly have no desire to read them.
