The Wyvern's Spur

Plot introduction

The Wyvernspurs are a noble family within the Kingdom of Cormyr and the provincial town of Immersea has been their ancestral residence. The novel centers around Giogioni “Giogi” Wyvernspur and begins with his homecoming after a lengthy ten-month absence.

With billing as a sequel to Azure Bonds, it nonetheless includes the participation of only one main character from the preceding novel. Giogi himself did play a role in events of the first novel but was effectively only a recurring supporting character. Unlike its predecessor, the events of the novel take place over the span of only a few days and occur entirely within a single locale. Additionally, the novel contains a strong romantic component.

Song of the Saurials is the third book in the Finders Stone Trilogy.

Plot summary

Most of the novel revolves around Giogi’s efforts to locate and recover an important family heirloom that goes missing just as he is returning to Immersea. The lost heirloom is an artifact from which they take their family name; the wyvern's spur, and the chief initial motivation for its recovery is the omen that the spur’s loss will trigger family misfortune. This is underscored when an elder family member, the wizard Drone, is discovered dead and a twisted mage named Flattery makes his presence known.

Giogi is aided in his efforts by Olive Ruskettle, a female halfling, and a female apprentice mage named Cat.

As the story progresses it is revealed that Cat is actually Flattery’s agent (under duress) and that Flattery himself is an un-aging creation of a forgotten ancestor named Finder Wyvernspur. Flattery, for reasons left vague, possesses an intense hatred of anything connected with Finder’s legacy including his descendants.

Eventually, Giogi convinces Cat to leave Flattery and the two fall in love. Giogi relearns much of the repressed history of his family and uses this knowledge to defeat Flattery and restore the family’s good heritage.

The Wyvern's spur

The wyvern's spur is literally a mummified “wyvern's spur” (a talon). It is described once by Giogi as being “no larger than a zucchini and uglier than a three-week-old sausage.” The spur was bestowed generations earlier to Paton, the founder of the family line, by a grateful Wyvern whose spirit then remained as an entity known as the Guardian. In recent years the spur has come to be known more as a family heirloom than its qualities as a magical artifact

The spur confers the ability to transform into a large wyvern as well as immunity to magic. It can only be wielded by a member of the Wyvernspur line and even then its powers can only be harnessed by a chosen member. A chosen or “favorite” is designated by the Guardian roughly once each generation.

Characters in The Wyvern's Spur

Giogioni Wyvernspur

Giogi, as he is commonly known, is a simple but good natured young nobleman who is often varyingly dismissed or derided by his peers due to his propensity for ineptitude. Giogi deviates from a hereditary family trait in that, unlike other Wyvernspur menfolk who share extreme physical resemblance with one another, his looks are distinctly unique.

Olive Ruskettle

Olive is a female halfling who is coincidentally herself in Immersea with a companion named Jade, who bears a near identical physical resemblance to the swordswoman Alias. Shortly thereafter Jade is killed by Flattery. Olive, motivated by both vengeance and circumstance, begins assisting Giogi in his efforts using special insight gleaned from her related experiences in a recent past adventure.

Cat

A fledgling female wizard. Cat is initially in the abusive service of the more powerful Flattery. She bears a near identical physical resemblance to the swordswoman Alias.

Flattery

A powerful mage who launches an assault against the Wyvernspur clan. He is motivated in part by the desire for the wyvern's spur as well as retribution for an ancient vendetta.

Reception

The winner of the 1989 Hugo for Best Fanzine, OtherRealms, stated that Wyvern's Spur was an improvement over the first novel, Azure Bonds. The same reviewer Danny Low awarded 4 stars to this novel and 3 stars to Azure Bonds. The improved plotting and developments were points of praise.

Cover artwork

The cover artist Clyde Caldwell did the cover for this novel as well as the first book of the trilogy, Azure Bonds. There is an in-joke referencing Clyde's preferred style and subject matter. In particular when the character Olive, on examining a statuette, says “…that’s an original Cledwyll. Overly endowed and scantily clad. Yes definitely a Cledwyll.”