Rating: 
Summary: An engaging story. Fun but dark.
Review: Since reading the "Man of His Word" series several years ago, Dave Duncan has been one of my favorite authors. He creates a level of realism that brilliantly achieves the "suspension of disbelief". "The Gilded Chain" fits perfectly into this category.The story at first appears to be on two separate lines, but as you read they flow into a single thread that makes the book almost impossible to put down. The characters behave as you think they should, at least in hindsight. The story has only one major drawback: reality. Rather than the optomistic happy endings, things happen in a much grimmer and believable manner. This book is a must read for Duncan fans, and would be enjoyed by many very critical readers. Dave Duncan has created another amazing world for his readers to visit. I'm just glad I don't have to live there.
Rating: 
Summary: All for one...
Review: The typical follow up to that line is, of course, and one for all, and, while still true if one is a Blade, Dave Duncan's version of the Musketeers, the all for one portion of the phrase is probably where a Blade would stop when quoting the famous Musketeer catch phrase.
Blades, as it turns out, are magically bound, usually to the King of Chivial, but, at the King's command, they can also be magically bound to any other individual at the King's express command. Once bound, they are forced, by magic, to do everything in their power to ensure the safety, security, and long-life, of the individual who bound them (thus my all for one rant...).
In this first of many tales of the King's Blades, Durendal (I couldn't help but think Dartanian...), possibly the finest Blade ever to be come out of Ironhall, the school for Blades, and also possibly the most honorable, is our protagonist.
The book tells of Sir Durendal's unintended binding to a ward other than the King, and, as it turns out, a ward that leaves much to be desired when it comes to honor...and other qualities. But Durendal, ever honorable, does his duty as best he can, and finds that fate has ordained for his life to be far from ordinary, quite honorable, and one that will turn him into a legend at Ironhall.
Of course, he's destined to kill the King (and the King has been told this...), but, you know, things happen.
While I rated this book a four originally, I have upped my rating to a five, and I have done so because I did truly enjoy this book (as I enjoyed The Three Musketeers...), and, because of that, went on to read the other two books in the "Tales of the King's Blades" sort-of-trilogy (each is stand alone, but if you read the first two, they will contradict each other, until you read the third, which explains the contradiction). And then I read the other add ons to the King's Blades series, again, which are each stand alone, but build off the world created by the first three books, and damn it, I ended up really liking Durendal. While his essentially perfect character made him somehow less likeable to me in this first book (not too much, obviously, or I wouldn't have kept reading the others), his willingness to disobey even the King when he felt it was the right thing to do, which you get an even better glimpse of in other books, won me over, and I just had to up my rating to a five. Not to mention that this book introduced me to all the others, which I'm very glad that I read, as I have found all of them excellent reads.
Anyone who enjoy's tales like The Three Musketeers, who enjoy's some swashbuckling adventures, and also doesn't mind a sprinking of conjuration and imagination, which Dave Duncan does very well, should definitely give this book, and the other Tales of the Kings Blades, a go. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Gilded Chain - A phenomenally well told story!
Review: First and foremost, Dave Duncan is an incredibly imaginative and detailed masterful storyteller within the genre of fantasy fiction for adult readers! A few weeks ago I was searching for something different to take with me on a business trip outside the country where I knew I would have lots of time on my hands and happened to see his latest paperback out of the corner of my eye and read the back cover for it which brought me to his first book in the "Tales of the King's Blades" series. Needless to say, but I will, discovering this outstanding author's work was a serious boon for me as I discovered his work to be absolutely superior! Upon starting "The Gilded Chain," one quickly discovers that Dave Duncan is truly a masterful storyteller in that his pacing is breakneck in speed; incredible in plot setup and execution; incredibly well detailed as he not only tells a story but sets the reader up within his newly created world of Chivial where "conjurations" are common and there is an overall exceptionally rich history to his story! My only regret in beginning to read his novels is that I hadn't discovered his work earlier. The cover art for "The Gilded Chain" is perfectly well suited to the story and does what it is intended to do, draw a reader to the novel. The Premise: Welcome to Dave Duncan's world of Chivial where conjurations are commonplace and the King, Ambrose the IV has at his disposal Ironhall where his personal guards are known as Blades. From an early age, young men who have nowhere else to go, if they show some promise, are admitted to the school and given the best training in the world in the practice and art of being swordsmen! As they progress in age and years at the school they either handle the training or leave at their own will. Upon becoming the most senior of the students, Prime and Second as it is known, they come close to what they've been working towards for so long. When the time comes for the King to issue a warrant for a new Blade for either his own service or for a courtier he wishes or believes has need of a personal body guard the ward is sent to Ironhall with the warrant! As the ritual goes, the ward takes the prospective Blade's newly crafted sword and through conjuration, runs it through the Blade's heart, providing the conjuration is a good one and both the Blade and the Ward's intention are good, the Blade will live and his binding to his ward is complete! As long as that Blade lives, his pure purpose in life is to guard his ward's life with his own... In comes the story of "The Gilded Chain" and Sir Durendal, one of the most promising Blade's to come out of Ironhall in years and one who has taken the name of Durendal as the first Durendal was an absolute hero in the Litany of Heroes at Ironhall. What follows from his "first" binding is one of the most incredible and wonderful well told fantasy stories this reader has ever had the privilege to read as the author takes us through the life of Sir Durendal or Lord Roland as he later is able to take his given name. From a poor child with talent taken into the bosom of Ironhall to his first and second bindings to his being released and becoming the Chancellor of Chivial to King Ambrose the IV, this tale will absolutely captivate and enthrall the reader at a breakneck speed... I highly recommend this first tale in the "Tales of the King's Blades" and any other novel written by this superior author to any and all who enjoy good fantasy fiction that is written for adults. Dave Duncan most certainly deserves any and all praise and accolades I'm sure he's received and continues to receive for this superior piece of fiction! {ssintrepid}
Rating: 
Summary: Boy makes good with a sword and common sense
Review: This book is the first in the 'King's Blades' series of novels. It is essentially a series of highlights in the life of the most famous of Blades, Sir Durendal. I found this book a disappointment in many ways. Durendal leads a life of adventure and success, but for all that you don't really feel that you know him that well by the end of the story. Another striking feature of the novel was how closely King Ambrose was modelled on the real King Henry 8th of England with access to magic. This book serves as an introduction to the Blades universe, but I'm not sure it's one that will make me follow through to read the other books in the series as for me this book was a curiously flat and uninvolving read into a distinctly boys-own world of swords and magic
Rating:
Summary: The Fat Man and His Loyal Knight
Review: The Gilded Chain is the first novel in the King's Blades series. The kings of Chival have found a unique way to ensure the loyalty of their personal guards: they run a blade through the guard's heart. With the aid of magic, the guard lives, but is totally bound to protect the life of his master until he dies, the master dies, or he is released. Kings sometime choose to bind such a guard to another. These King's Blades are all trained at Ironhall on Starkmoor. In this novel, an unbiddable and intractable boy is brought to Ironhall for admission by his grandfather. The Grand Master tests him, finds him suitable and asks him if he wants to stay. After accepting the offer, the boy decides to go against tradition, selecting Durendal as the name he will use in the Blades. This is rather presumptuous, since the original Durendal had founded the order, and his fellow Blades have since thoroughly tested the worthiness of this second Durendal. After Durendal becomes Second, the next to senior candidate, King Ambrose sends the Marquis of Nutting to become the Ward of a Blade. The Prime and the Marquis are prepared for the ritual and all goes well, except that the Prime is dead. While the Marquis is being noisily sick in the corner, Durendal double checks everything, but nothing is wrong. Durendal then cajoles and threatens the Marquis into performing the ritual again, only with Durendal as the Blade. This time the ritual works and now the Marquis is Durendal's Ward. The next morning, Durendal leaves Ironhall in the Marquis' coach on the way to court. He discovers that his Ward is about as worthless as he expected and takes measures to bring him to heel. His introduction to court is rather exciting, with a sniffer mistaking the whiff of binding magic around him for an offensive conjuration, causing the guards to attack Durendal, to which he reacts as to a threat against his Ward and almost spits the first guard in the eye. Fortunately, the sniffer recognizes her mistake in time for him to pull his lunge and all is settled with nobody hurt, even if the guards have had the scare of their lives. The adventures of Durendal with his no-account Ward are framed by some events twenty years later, when he is Lord Roland and the Chancellor to the King. One of his political rivals, the former inquisitor Kromman, manages to replace him as Chancellor and then tries to arrest him for treason, but finds that Roland has a newly bound Blade who is quite insistent that Krommon make no unusual moves. Roland is more eager than otherwise to release his burden of office, for he has never been able to spend enough time with his wife and children. Nonetheless, the whole affair is rather confusing. Then his wife detects the stench of conjuration from the official papers and recognizes its origins. This novel is the story of a group of swashbuckling swordsmen who are threatened more by political intrigue than force of arms. Durendal is a three time holder of the King's Cup for his swordsmanship, but is more effective with his planning and organizational abilities, even as the Commander of the Guard. As Chancellor, his primary duty is to keep the King from causing himself harm; the King is a genius at political manipulation when he is calm, but not so when he loses his temper. If you are thinking Henry VIII, you would probably be right on the money. Ambrose has the same problem with siring an heir and goes through multiple wives. He also has several wars going on simultaneously, one of which he provoked, yet refuses to end by apologizing. The Blades call him the Fat Man behind his back, yet they remain steadfastly loyal even after they are released from their bindings. Recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy tales of political chicanery and intrigue with a steadfastly loyal hero.
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