The House of the Stag - Tapa dura

Praise for "The Anvil of the World" "Kage Baker has a very good fantasy career in front of her if "Anvil" is a sample. Her style is infused with a subtle humor that had me chuckling. . . . She kept turning me in directions that I hadn't expected."--Anne McCaffrey "She's an edgy, funny, complex, ambitious writer with the mysterious, true gift of story-telling." --Ursula K. Le Guin "An""eccentric and often very funny fantasy. . . . Baker piles on such delights for anyone who wants more from fantasy than an epic journey to battle evil.""--Denver Post ""If you've liked Baker's previous work, or even if you haven't yet seen it, give this a shot. . . . Fun, interesting, nicely characterized and clever.""--San Diego Union-Tribune"

Before the Riders came to their remote valley the Yendri led a tranquil pastoral life. When the Riders conquered and enslaved them, only a few escaped to the forests. Rebellion wasn't the Yendri way; they hid, or passively resisted, taking consolation in the prophecies of their spiritual leader. Only one possessed the necessary rage to fight back: Gard, the half-demon foundling, who began a one-man guerrilla war against the Riders. His struggle ended in the loss of the family he loved, and condemnation from his own people.Exiled, he was taken as a slave by powerful mages ruling an underground kingdom. Bitterer and wiser, he found more subtle ways to earn his freedom. This is the story of his rise to power, his vengeance, his unlikely redemption, and his maturation into a loving father-as well as a lord and commander of demon armies.Kage Baker, author of the popular and witty fantasy "The Anvil of the World", returns to that magical world for another story of love, adventure, and a fair bit of ironic humour.