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    The King's Justice: Two Novellas
    The King's Justice: Two Novellas
    The King's Justice: Two Novellas
    Audiobook9 hours

    The King's Justice: Two Novellas

    Written by Stephen R. Donaldson

    Narrated by Scott Brick and Kevin Orton

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Two new, original novellas-Donaldson's first publication since finishing the Thomas Covenant series-are a sure cause for celebration among his many fans. In The King's Justice, a stranger dressed in black arrives in the village of Settle's Crossways, following the scent of a terrible crime. He even calls himself "Black," though almost certainly that is not his name. The people of the village discover that they have a surprising urge to cooperate with this stranger, though the desire of inhabitants of quiet villages to cooperate with strangers is not common in their land, or most lands. But this gift will not save him as he discovers the nature of the evil concealed in Settle's Crossways. The "Augur's Gambit" is a daring plan created by Mayhew Gordian, Hieronomer to the Queen of Indemnie, a plan to save his Queen and his country. Gordian is a reader of entrails. In the bodies of chickens, lambs, piglets, and one stillborn infant he sees the same message: the island nation of Indemnie is doomed. But even in the face of certain destruction a man may fight, and the Hieronomer is utterly loyal to his beautiful Queen-and to her only daughter. The "Augur's Gambit" is his mad attempt to save a kingdom.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateOct 13, 2015
    ISBN9781490699226
    The King's Justice: Two Novellas

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    Reviews for The King's Justice

    4/5

    33 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Liked this book much more than his latest release that I read a couple weeks ago. This was much more reminiscent of "A Man Rides Through". Would like to see something that would amount to a prequel to give some background to the creation of Black. And it seems that there is endless possibilities for His continuing adventures.
    • 4/5
      SD can't write short stories, but these are two novella length fantasy stories. Both very different in setting from each other, but similar in tone and character of the hero - they also feel familiar from some of SD's other works although I can't place them. People who are reluctant heroes. Brave enough to face their fears but not actually strong in themselves. TBC
    • 4/5
      The King's Justice is a dark fantasy about a mysterious man named Black. He must find the person responsible for a grisly child murder. His trail leads him to more murders and a nefarious plot to overcome the balance of magic in the kingdom.The Augur's Gambit is the second novella in the collection. It is told in the first person by a timid augur who must help his Queen find a way to save her kingdom from internal rebellion and external war.Both novellas are classic Donaldson, exposing both the protagonist's weaknesses and strengths so that the outcome is always in doubt. They are different in tone, but both very satisfying reading.
    • 4/5
      Given opportunity I might ask Mr. Donaldson why his short works are so rarely anthologized. He's proven adept at the length in "Daughter of Regals" and "Reave the Just", so I was glad when he published these two novellas. I was further made glad by their quality after his Last Chronicles didn't impress me, even though he doesn't revisit established worlds (Mordant just once, please?).The King's Justice - a fine melding of fantasy and western tropes that surprises not at all with its story but exhibits mastery of the craft in its telling. Donaldson almost entirely sheds his dictionary-defying vocabulary to tell a straightforward tale of a stranger who rides into a quiet town to deal with an outsized evil. The neatly laid plot is almost paint-by-numbers and not pertinent to the author's purpose, which is to explore and portray the inner workings of Black and his moral compass. It's a fine model of perspective and characterization, demonstrating how to invest emotion into an outwardly impervious, unruffled protagonist and make him sympathetic. It makes me wish some publisher would marry up old-school fantasy authors (Donaldson, Terry Brooks, Feist, etc.) with authors who have more modern sensibilities for these two-novella books. The traditional author displays his master craft and classic world-building in the first story, then a recent author writes the sequel where a girl with mysterious healing powers grows up to be shaped by the king and to quell an unbalance caused by Bright.The Auger's Gambit - more in keeping with Donaldson's strengths but not actually the stronger story, this is largely political intrigue and plays in the dangerous (for being a trope) prophecy sandbox. It has several perks going for it, though: the seer is the narrator, there's several strong female characters, and Donaldson displays his chops at dialogue between very-not-stupid people trying to one-up each other. The action is late in coming, but there's a strong scene in conclusion that leaves a lasting image in my brain. This is another world I'd return to if given the chance, but Donaldson seems to just create these gems and then leave them, Covenant excepted.
    • 5/5
      Stephen R. Donaldson is one of my favorite authors, and has been since the late 70s with the start of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Whether he’s writing extremely long, elaborate novels or shorter, concise novellas, his writing is complex and thoughtful. He’s able to make a novella or short story seem like a novel simply by his descriptions and word choice. His use of language is fascinating, and the reader is forced to slow down to think about it and take it all in. Not many authors can claim this vital skill.

      The first of two novellas in this book, The King’s Justice, is the tale of a gifted man called “Black” who combats evil in various forms. He has been “shaped”, that is, trained and marked with metallic inlays and tattoos that give him the power to compel people and follow the scent of evil as it pervades the land. This story had the feel of a western: a nameless man rides in, sees a small town in distress, and does the right and moral things to bring justice. The narrative is simple, with no flair or flourish. My only complaint is minor: King’s Justice is written in present tense, which was somewhat distracting.

      The second novella, The Auger’s Gambit, was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy tale set on the remote island nation of Indemnie. High drama, political maneuverings, obscure prophecies, and an intricate plot that continually ratchets up until the explosive finale make this a tale that I’ll definitely read again and again. There are so many plot points that it will almost be a fresh read every time as new details are discovered and tied into what the reader already knows.

      I’m not sure what Donaldson has planned next, but this book is a good way appease his fans as we (impatiently) wait for his next big project.