As unwanted and rebellious boys, they find refuge in Ironhall....Years later they emerge as the finest swordsmen in the realm--A magical ritual of a sword through the heart binds each to his ward--if not the king himself, then to whomever else the monarch designates--with absolute loyalty.And the greatest Blade of them all was--and is--Sir Durendal. But a lifelong dream of protecting his beloved liege from enemies, traitors, and monsters is dashed to bits when Durendal is bonded till death to an effete noble fop at his king's orders. Yet Destiny has many strange and inscrutable plans for the young knight--for a mission, a contest, and, perhaps, a treasure await him in a faraway land. But he soon finds himself enmeshed in treason and foul intrigues, compelled to betray the king he had hoped to serve. The Blades have ways to protect their own, but death and madness haunt the path to salvation--and few ever return unscathed. As unwanted and rebellious boys, they find refuge in Ironhall....Years later they emerge as the finest swordsmen in the realm--A magical ritual of a sword through the heart binds each to his ward--if not the king himself, then to whomever else the monarch designates--with absolute loyalty. And the greatest Blade of them all was--and is--Sir Durendal. But a lifelong dream of protcting his beloved liege from enemies, traitors, and monsters is dashed to bits when Durendal is bonded till death to an effete noble fop at his king's orders. Yet Destiny has many strange and inscrutable plans for the young knight--for a mission, a contest, and, perhaps, a treasure await him in a faraway land. But he soon finds himself enmeshed in treasonand foul intrigues, compelled to betray the king he had hoped to serve. The Blades have ways to protect their own, but death and madness haunt the path to salvation--and few ever return unscathed.

大衛．鄧肯（Dave Duncan）

生於蘇格蘭。與妻子珍娜於1969年結婚，育有一兒兩女，目前定居於維多利亞州。在投入寫作前，他曾經是一位地質學者。自從發現幻想的世界可以滿足許多現實世界無法成就的願望時，他便全心投入寫作的領域，截止目前為止，作品已經超作30本，其中大部分是奇幻作品，但他也寫一些青少年、科幻、歷史等創作。代表作為《第七之劍》（The Seventh Sword），除獲獎外更被視為「劍與魔法」類型小說的經典作品。另外還有《線》（Strings）、《英雄》（Hero）、《言出必行之人》（A Man of His Word）三部曲、《一群人》（A Handful of Men）以及廣受好評的奇幻三部曲《大競局》（The Great Game）。