cover image The Boy with the Porcelain Blade

The Boy with the Porcelain Blade

Den Patrick. Gollancz (Trafalgar Sq., dist.), $14.95 trade paper (321p) ISBN 978-0-575-13402-7

In this refreshing, rambunctious first half of a fantasy duology, Patrick (Orcs War-Fighting Manual) drops an Errol Flynn–esque character into a story filled with grotesqueries and hidden secrets that ache to be revealed. The Orfani are deformed in strange ways; for example, swashbuckler Lucien di Fontein has gaping holes where his ears should be. Though feared and loathed by many commoners, the Orfani are protected by the king and given preferential treatment, schooling, swordsmanship, and more. As the epic fantasy setting slowly takes on macabre and monstrous aspects, Lucien must survive his yearly swordsmanship tests with his wits, his will, and all his body parts intact. Patrick’s magnetic concoction of horrific, quick-moving fantasy is a winner. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Agency Group (U.K.). (June)