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The Unwilling Warlord

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Language
  
English

Media type
  
Print (paperback)

Author
  
Lawrence Watt-Evans

Cover artist
  
Darrell K. Sweet

3.9/5
Goodreads

Series
  
Ethshar

Originally published
  
1 October 1989

Genre
  
Fantasy

Country
  
United States of America

The Unwilling Warlord t0gstaticcomimagesqtbnANd9GcTJ0AmAE3bDoi0vtw

Publication date
  
1 October 1989 (1st edition)

Pages
  
311 pp (Paperback 1st edition)

ISBN
  
0-345-35413-3 (Paperback 1st edition)

Publisher
  
Del Rey Books (Ballantine Books)

Similar
  
Works by Lawrence Watt-Evans, Legend of Ethshar books, Other books


The Unwilling Warlord is a fantasy novel by Lawrence Watt-Evans. It details the story of hereditary warlord Sterren of Semma taking over, unwillingly, the position of warlord for one of Ethshar's Small Kingdoms.

Contents

Plot introduction

The Kingdom of Semma is on the verge of war but the VIII Hereditary Warlord has died. The King sent out a search party to the Hegemony of Ethshar where with the aid of magic they track down the heir to the title, the Unwilling IX Warlord Sterren.

The story evolves as Sterren, along with assorted others hired to help in the war, is hauled off from his career as a low stakes gambler to Semma. One of his companions is Vond, a master Warlock who is feeling the Calling and who is seeking to get as far away from Aldagmor as he can because once a Warlock gives in to the Calling they are drawn to Aldagmor and are never seen again. Vond takes a liking to Sterren who was actually apprenticed as a Warlock for three days before being dismissed as unable to perform. Of course it is against the Guild law for any magician to practice in more than one field so Sterren was disqualified to take up any of the other studies. Not long after arriving in Semma, Vond discovers a second source of power for Warlockry and quickly becomes the most powerful magician in the Small Kingdoms.

Characters in "The Unwilling Warlord"

  • Sterren- The Ninth Warlord of Semma
  • Vond- Warlock who becomes the Emperor of Vond
  • References to actual history, geography and current science

    Evans details how a history of England and a hereditary title inspired the novel. Though not explicitly mentioned, the career of Vond as a conqueror and self-created Emperor bears some resemblance to that of Napoleon Bonaparte

    Publication history

  • 1989, United States, Del Rey (Ballantine) ISBN 0-345-35413-3, Pub date 1 October 1989, Paperback
  • 1991, United Kingdom, Grafton Books ISBN 0-586-21149-7, Pub date 7 November 1991
  • 1996, Russia, AST (Moscow) and Terra Fantastica (St. Petersburg) ISBN 5-88196-609-0, (published as part of the Blood of Dragons (Voyenachal'nik Ionevole) omnibus
  • 2001, United States, Wildside Press ISBN 1-58715-286-X, Pub date 1 March 2001, Paperback
  • References

    The Unwilling Warlord Wikipedia