From Publishers Weekly

In his latest energetic fantasy set in the medieval land of Chivial (after 2003's Impossible Odds), Canadian author Duncan provides a feast of sword and sorcery, mystery and romance, featuring knights whose wits and words are as sharp as their edged weapons. Sir Wolf, known as the "King's Killer," wishes to find solitude after years of obeying the orders of a king he both doubts and mistrusts. When a royal mistress is abducted, Wolf's hope for peace is shattered. Searching for the kidnapped lady, he is joined by an inquisitor and his troubled younger brother, Sir Lyne, both of whom challenge Wolf's outlook on life and duty. After increasingly bitter and exciting battles with one another and the magically empowered kidnappers, the uneasy brotherhood finally stumbles onto revelations that threaten to reveal unwelcome truths about Chivial itself. Duncan's voice is accessible, his pacing breakneck and his unadorned style makes the impossible seem probable.
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From Booklist

The latest of the justly popular King's Blades novels is a stand-alone--though readers already acquainted with Sir Wolf may appreciate it more. Sir Wolf has to track down his brother, Sir Lynx, who is turning into a jaguar after picking up a magical talisman left behind by the half-animal, half-human raiders who kidnapped the king's ex-mistress, Celeste. So Lynx searches for Celeste, and Wolf for Lynx. Wolf is accompanied by female mage Hogwood, who eventually becomes his wife and ever-present help in time of trouble, of which there is plenty. In the Hence Lands, Lynx's trail takes Wolf into furious confrontation with an Aztec-like civilization, whose magic enhances both its virtues and its vices. More furiously active than ever before, this volume boasts a body count not for the weak of stomach and shows Duncan as deft as ever with the Blades' small-group politics and the convolutions of the world in which they wield their weapons. Essential for King's Blades enthusiasts. Roland Green
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