The Sword of Bheleu

This book is the key piece in the outstanding "Lords of Dus" series. In this book, Garth the overman comes to understand just what he has in the sword he plundered from the temple of the god of destruction, Bheleu. The sword is a link to the god of destruction himself, plugging Garth directly into the destructive will of Bheleu, who wishes to use him as a tool of destruction. But Garth is an essentially good person (though not a man, but, interestingly, an "overman" - a nicely executed twist in the series). While Garth has become involved through the wish to achieve fame, he does not want fame through destruction. This pits Garth as an individual against the will of a god, and the twists of fate. Plucky to the end, Garth wrestles through this series with destiny, struggling to bring good out of evil, life out of destruction. Garth makes a completely atypical hero. He is hideously ugly, not an idealist, and far from being above the temptation of evil power. But he is game! He is determined to maintain his individuality and will in the face of one trial after the next. These books are filled with imaginative scenarios, wryly humorous developments, and lots of action, details, and surprises. But, beyond being engrossing and enjoyable, they will make you think. This isn't just good fantasy; this is good writing!

In the world of good intentions run afoul of fate, Garth the overman occupies a special place. What started out as a lone overman determined to have some impact on the world has turned into a trail of disasters. It's not that Garth particularly relishes wanton slaughter and destruction, but they seem to follow him around. But his last episode - stealing whatever was on the altars of the seven dark gods in Dusaarra - has left him with an unpleasant legacy. Garth is now the wielder of the sword of Bheleu, and it has no intention of letting go of him. The sword has a nasty habit of taking over Garth's mind and inciting him to violence. Having barely managed to keep his temper during the long trip back from Dusarra to Skelleth he finds that his wife has laid siege to Skelleth (suspecting that Garth was being held captive. Far from straightening thing out, his arrival inflames a conflict that results in Skelleth becoming the spoils of a war that no sane overman would want to start. Gerth is now faced with trying to find a way to undo the disaster at Skelleth and rid himself of the sword - without asking the King in Yellow for help. Others have noticed that Bheleu now has a avatar. The priesthood of Aghad would like nothing better than to torture Garth to death for desecrating their temple. And the council of wizard has reconvened to stop Garth before the world has to deal with 30 years of increasing destruction. Needless to say, our overman is in hot water, and wherever he turns, someone is turning up the heat. If he doesn't find a solution he is slated to live a short life for an on of his kind. At this point it is unclear whether Garth is hero or anti-hero. Occasionally he does a good deed or two, and he never really intends to wipe out whole priesthoods or the guards of an entire city. But the peculiarities of overman logic make him a crisis magnet. And nothing he tries works out. Lawrence Watt-Evans has created a truly hapless hero and made him surprisingly sympathetic and believable. As the tale has moved along, it has developed a complex story with serious overtones, but it has never lost its sense of the irreverent, and this is what makes this much more than a fantasy adventure story. Recommended.

Having finished with his quest to steal whatever he finds on the altars of the seven dark gods in Dusarra, Garth the overman returns to Skelleth, only to find it besieged by overmen looking for him. Garth would like to find a peaceful solution to this situation, but one of the items he got in Dusarra won't let him - the dreaded Sword of Bheleu, the god of chaos and destruction. Garth is the chosen one of Bheleu; chosen to bear the sword and usher in a new age of destruction. Can Garth restrain the magic sword that is taking control of him, or will he bring upon the world a catastrophe beyond his worst nightmares? For many years now, I have been a great fan of Lawrence Watt-Evans' wonderful Ethshar series. Having finished all of the Ethshar books currently available, I moved on to his Lords of Dus series, and must say that I am quite happy! This book makes an excellent sequel to The Seven Altars of Dusarra, and is every bit as good as that one. This is a great fantasy story, complete with wizards, gods, and lots of swordplay. In particular, I found the author's use of a non-human as the protagonist to be quite intriguing and masterfully done. So, if you are a fan of fantasy literature, then you must get this book. You will not be disappointed.