Incorporated Knight

Rating:
Summary: In search of an Honest Living
Review: Set in a far corner of de Camp's Novaria world, The Incorporated Knight follows the attempts of Eudoric Dambertson to succeed in his world not by becoming a knight of reknown and fame, but by becoming a businessman of good stature, a goal looked down apon by his contemporary's, who believe the proper knight is a muscle-bound, sword swinging bone-head who's main aims in life are wenching and deeds of valor. His first attempt to win into a family with spurs and commercial bindings pits him to recover a few yards of dragon hide. Which he does, it's through a miss-chance involving gun powder and the law, which disagrees with poaching dragons out of season and throws him in the slammer. When he is freed, his intended lady love has run off with another and that's the flavor of the book.

Eudoric winds through twists and turns, a maze of dishonest honest people in his quest for financial success: he woos the daughter of a man best referred to as a murderous ******, avoids a "virgin" princess whom he saved in promise of wedlock only to have her husbands come back in stony form, outwits an ogre who in all honestly only eats those who are not of the correct religion, and manages to start a coach service despite the partners he teams up with. If you are looking for a book that isn't "He kills the monster, marries the beautiful princess, and saves the world," here's one with characters you often just want to throttle or laugh at. de Campe's people are as ordinary as the person standing by you, and for that reason are often bizarre.

Rating:
Summary: Not classic but still enjoyable
Review: There aren't any wars going on and local monsters have been pretty well subdued. So when his magician-instructor offers Eudoric Dambertson a deal--knighthood and his daughter for two yards of dragon skin, Eudoric agrees. He sets off on a quest that doesn't quite turn out the way he intends--ending up in prison for hunting season violations--but learns some valuable lessons along the way. One of the most basic lessons concerns women. Eudoric has problems with women. He'd like to get married, have a loving relationship, but the woman he gets interested in either run off with someone else, or come with dangerous entanglements.

Spurned by his first love, Eudoric decides to make his fortune building a stagecoach line, offering shock-absorbed comfortable journeying to horse-weary travellers. In a magical world where enterprise is often scorned and where getting a business franchise is difficult, Eudoric doesn't find it an easy task--in fact, he's sent off after more monsters. Eudoric may not be the bravest or most noble guy around, but he's smart and manages to twist things in his own favor.

Authors L. Sprague and Catherine Crook de Camp take a twist on traditional heroic fantasy. Rather than a muscled and empty-headed hero with women falling around him, Eudoric has problems with women, uses his head rather than his thews, and goes for pragmatism rather than heroics any day. It makes for an amusing story and Eudoric is an interesting character who insists on learning from what happens to him and making the best of the opportunities that come his way. Sprague de Camp has created several of the masterpieces of SF/Fantasy and INCORPORATED isn't in that category. But it is an enjoyable read.