Read sample chapters, in PDF format
284pp, 6" x 9" trade size paperback
cover by Jade
$22.50 (paperback)
$32.50 (hardcover)
$9.95 (ebook)
COVER NOTES
Jack Leigh is a soldier of fortune, far from home. He's a brilliant "sword for hire," but in the dangerous Riverlands dukedom of Rhondia he gets more than he bargained for...
Treachery, treason and dark magic form swirling, powerful undercurrents in Rhondia. Along the canals and in the menacing heart of Nimmenwald forest lurk unimaginable threats — the bo'zhe, the Lappai, barbarians from Saihabara and the unknowable forces out of Nimmenwald Deep itself.
At the crux of the vortex of magic and treachery is the heir to Rhondia, Michael Sebastian — "Seb" — d'Astaghir. Haughty, moody ... haunted by the goblins of memory, Seb is in terrible jeopardy. It's only by luck that his old friend, old lover, Luc Redmayne, happens upon a streetfight in a tavern yard, and a "hired sword" enters the fortress of Rhondia as Seb's bodyguard.
With the fresh eyes of an "outlander," the shrewdness of a soldier of fortune from Yulminster, and the help of a young gypsy shaman, Jack Leigh uncovers the pitch-black, treasonous magic which is simmering just beneath the surface of Rhondia.
And when Jack, Seb, Luc and gypsy, Janos Zaparasti, finally lay their hands on the Basilisk ring, the symbol of the great houses of Rhondia, they unleash the very forces they have feared.
From page one, it's mystery, action, gay romance — and more than a dash of the sensual in this new, and entirely original fantasy novel.
Pullquote:
Mel Keegan’s name is a byword for thrilling gay adventure in the past, present and future — MILLIVRES on Aquamarine.
THE SWORDSMAN
reviewed by H.D.
First Email: I really loved that book! The creativity of just the bo'zhe is wonderful! Everyone does werewolves - but intelligent, immortal wolves who turn into men at the full moon (weremen?) are brilliant. So is having them be so gorgeous that the beauty is a major weapon. Just one element, but as polished as a jewel. The koboldae and koboldlichen are the same - a unique twist on the traditional elves and trolls. I REALLY want to find out what happens next!
Second Email: Just finished reading Swordsman for the second time, cover to cover. I KNEW Mel's fantasy would be great. It gives the author so much freedom when he can make ALL the rules. Absolutely the only thing wrong with it is that you haven't announced that the sequel is in pre-print, or even better: ready to ship! I had another tired day at work the night after it came in the mail - I read til 1 am to finish it. The world building was just as tight and seamless as Mel's SciFi and historicals, and the magic both believable and consistent. So often the weakest point in a good fantasy is the magic system - it either has so many holes you can't go with it, or it takes over and the people and plot are just a way to show off the author's cleverness. Not with Mel! His characters and their romances are always the most special part of the books. They're real people, and it's impossible not to become totally involved with them. Jack Leigh (Congratulations again on modeling for the cover) is full of surprises right to the end. He ties the whole thing together, but in spite of being more than strong enough to dominate most books it doesn't happen. Seb won't let it, and Janos comes very close to stealing center stage right out from under the both of them. Luc has a quieter role, but anyone who can match Janos (and he does!) can hold his own in any company. The only problem is that the book ends. I want to know what happens next! I see at least three more books just with Seb and Jack, and if I can see that, who knows what Mel can do? Not to mention Janos and Luc's stories. I REALLY want to know where Janos is headed. I know Scorpio is coming out in July (yes! More Narc!) and Cry Liberty and a heavy schedule after it, but please tell me Mel's at least thinking about a sequel to Swordsman. Please? And I've got to tell you, after this taste of Mel's fantasy, I can't wait for more. When's Harbindane due out again?
THE SWORDSMAN
reviewed by B.W.
this is the best mel keegan book i have read so far! which is a feat in and of itself becouse i love them all .the main characters jack and seb are both gripping and compelling , the world is well fleshed out ,and the secondary characters in the novel are just as richly fleshed out as the title characters . if you like a little magic in your story its here, but not in such massive amounts as to be overwhelming . with plenty of action and of course sword fights . with of course a little romance .its one of those books you cant put down until its finished ,and i sorely hope there is a sequel( i hope mel reads this line) lol haveing had a taste of a mel keegan fantasy ilove the bit of magic thrown in for spice i cant wait until he publishes more works like this if you get no other novel this is the one you must have !
THE SWORDSMAN
reviewed by Gene/Jean
I hope you good people at DreamCraft will pass along a message for me, to the desk of Mr. Keegan. Just tell him, I shall scream if he doesn't write the follow-up novel(s?) to this book, and get it done some time time millennium!!! Don't believe I ever latched onto a set of characters as fast as I did to these. There's somthing about Seb and Janos and Luc, not to mention Jack ... I want to use the word 'timeless,' but it's gotten to be a hackneyed phrase, and in any case, it ain't what I mean. The characters are so real. You can actually feel Seb's aches and pains ... you can feel Janos' hair running through your fingers. I think, of all MK's works to date, this book is the one that 'does it for me' the most. Don't get me wrong: I love Jarrat and Stone as much as the next reader, and if I feel in the mood for historicals, it's usually THE DECEIVERS I reach for (good God, it was so realistic, I felt seasick in patches of the narrative! You'd think MK grew up on a ship. He, uh, didn't did he...?). But the whole concept of the Riverland and the gypsies and the shamanic magic and the glorious werewolves/werepeople and the 'middle ages' type of civilization and the swordsman himself ... woah. I think I have to stop right here and go read the book again. Just tell MK: if he doesn't write the follow-ups soon, I'll be a nervous wreck!!