The Door Into Sunset

A prince worried about his cowardice develops strength and insight as he fights for his heritage and his people in this third volume in the series that began with The Door into Fire . Freelorn s'Ferrant seeks to claim the throne of Arlen, which has fallen under the influence of the dread Shadow, an ancient opponent of the Goddess, from whom all life flows. Aided by his lover, Herewiss, the only male in a millennium to control the Flame of Power, a form of magic and mind power, Lorn searches for the visible and spiritual emblems of office in order to wrest the crown from his usurping half-brother, Cillmod, and his Shadow-tainted adviser, Rian. Lorn's other allies include Segnbora, who solicits the support of the tradition-bound living dragons who have previously shared a world with mankind, and Eftgan d'Arienn, the queen of neighboring Darthen, who musters her forces for a rousing battle between good and evil. Duane has crafted an intelligent and exhilarating Swords and Sorcery adventure, opening up its society to unusual sexual and emotional relations between human and nonhuman beings. (Mar.)